Organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability

International audience The icy satellites of the outer solar system present a variety of chemical compositions where initial complements of ices, minerals, and elements provided during formation have been subjected to various internal and external processes. Additional material has been gained via c...

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Main Author: Coustenis, Athéna
Other Authors: Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA), Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Pôle Planétologie du LESIA, Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique = Laboratory of Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics (LESIA), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)
Format: Conference Object
Language:English
Published: HAL CCSD 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hal.science/hal-03733797
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spelling ftunivparis:oai:HAL:hal-03733797v1 2024-05-19T07:38:54+00:00 Organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability Coustenis, Athéna Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA) Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Pôle Planétologie du LESIA Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique = Laboratory of Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics (LESIA) Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States 2015-08-03 https://hal.science/hal-03733797 en eng HAL CCSD hal-03733797 https://hal.science/hal-03733797 BIBCODE: 2015IAUGA.2242026C IAU Symposium IAU General Assembly XXIX, Meeting #29, #2254766 https://hal.science/hal-03733797 IAU General Assembly XXIX, Meeting #29, #2254766, Aug 2015, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] info:eu-repo/semantics/conferenceObject Conference papers 2015 ftunivparis 2024-04-23T03:36:14Z International audience The icy satellites of the outer solar system present a variety of chemical compositions where initial complements of ices, minerals, and elements provided during formation have been subjected to various internal and external processes. Additional material has been gained via cometary and meteoritic infall, transfer of material between satellites and magnetospheric interactions. Exchanges also occur between the surface and the interior.Organic compounds have been detected on several of our Solar System's satellites around the gas giant planets, each with unique characteristics as to organic chemistry. Jupiter's Europa, Ganymede and Callisto show evidence of undersurface layers of liquid water that offer potentially interesting environments for organic synthesis. Spectra obtained by Galileo's NIMS show absorption bands indicative of C-H and C≡N organic compounds. Potential organics on the large Galilean moons include CO2, carbonic acid and different kinds of carbonates, hydrocarbons and nitriles.Saturn's Titan is a chemical factory, where the mother molecules N2 (at about 95%), CH4 (at 1.5-5%) and H2 (at 0.1%) produce a host of hydrocarbons and nitriles. The Cassini-Huygens mission has shown Titan to be indeed very rich in organic molecules, which are formed in the upper atmosphere and then deposited on the surface. Some of these species are of prebiotic importance, such as C6H6, HC3N and HCN. Titan's surface displays unique geomorphological features while it probably overlies an internal liquid water ocean. The organic deposits, if in contact with the underground liquid water could undergo an aqueous chemistry that could replicate aspects of life's origins. Enceladus, a smaller moon of Saturn, ejects large amounts of water and organics in the space from plumes located in its southern pole. The implied requirement for liquid water reservoirs under its surface, significantly broadens the diversity of solar system environments which could be habitable worlds.References: [1] Coustenis, A., ... Conference Object Carbonic acid Université de Paris: Portail HAL
institution Open Polar
collection Université de Paris: Portail HAL
op_collection_id ftunivparis
language English
topic [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]
spellingShingle [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]
Coustenis, Athéna
Organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability
topic_facet [PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]
description International audience The icy satellites of the outer solar system present a variety of chemical compositions where initial complements of ices, minerals, and elements provided during formation have been subjected to various internal and external processes. Additional material has been gained via cometary and meteoritic infall, transfer of material between satellites and magnetospheric interactions. Exchanges also occur between the surface and the interior.Organic compounds have been detected on several of our Solar System's satellites around the gas giant planets, each with unique characteristics as to organic chemistry. Jupiter's Europa, Ganymede and Callisto show evidence of undersurface layers of liquid water that offer potentially interesting environments for organic synthesis. Spectra obtained by Galileo's NIMS show absorption bands indicative of C-H and C≡N organic compounds. Potential organics on the large Galilean moons include CO2, carbonic acid and different kinds of carbonates, hydrocarbons and nitriles.Saturn's Titan is a chemical factory, where the mother molecules N2 (at about 95%), CH4 (at 1.5-5%) and H2 (at 0.1%) produce a host of hydrocarbons and nitriles. The Cassini-Huygens mission has shown Titan to be indeed very rich in organic molecules, which are formed in the upper atmosphere and then deposited on the surface. Some of these species are of prebiotic importance, such as C6H6, HC3N and HCN. Titan's surface displays unique geomorphological features while it probably overlies an internal liquid water ocean. The organic deposits, if in contact with the underground liquid water could undergo an aqueous chemistry that could replicate aspects of life's origins. Enceladus, a smaller moon of Saturn, ejects large amounts of water and organics in the space from plumes located in its southern pole. The implied requirement for liquid water reservoirs under its surface, significantly broadens the diversity of solar system environments which could be habitable worlds.References: [1] Coustenis, A., ...
author2 Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique (LESIA)
Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris
Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
Pôle Planétologie du LESIA
Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique = Laboratory of Space Studies and Instrumentation in Astrophysics (LESIA)
Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris
Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Observatoire de Paris
Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)
format Conference Object
author Coustenis, Athéna
author_facet Coustenis, Athéna
author_sort Coustenis, Athéna
title Organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability
title_short Organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability
title_full Organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability
title_fullStr Organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability
title_full_unstemmed Organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability
title_sort organic chemistry on planetary satellites around the gas giants and implications for habitability
publisher HAL CCSD
publishDate 2015
url https://hal.science/hal-03733797
op_coverage Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
genre Carbonic acid
genre_facet Carbonic acid
op_source IAU Symposium
IAU General Assembly XXIX, Meeting #29, #2254766
https://hal.science/hal-03733797
IAU General Assembly XXIX, Meeting #29, #2254766, Aug 2015, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
op_relation hal-03733797
https://hal.science/hal-03733797
BIBCODE: 2015IAUGA.2242026C
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