Delivery time2023-12-15 05:00
U.S. research team “Discovers additional organic matter in addition to existing organic matter… Paying attention to whether life exists in the sea under the ice”
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jooyoung Lee = Methanol, ethane, and oxygen molecules were additionally confirmed in the gases emitted through the sea ice surface of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, indicating an environment in which life can exist in the sea under the ice. Interest in this possibility is growing.
Saturn moon Enceladus mass ejection illustration illustrated
The Saturn spacecraft Cassini captured a large plume of material ejecting through the ice at Enceladus’ south pole in 2005. The material plume components were found to be ice particles, water vapor, and organic molecules, which was interpreted to suggest the possibility of hydrothermal activity in the sea beneath the ice. [NASA/JPL-Caltech 제공. 재판매 및 DB 금지]
On the 15th, a team of researchers from Caltech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and Harvard University’s Jonah Peter reanalyzed the observation data from the Saturn probe Cassini in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy and transferred it to the plume of material emitted from Enceladus. It was further confirmed that unknown methanol, ethane, and oxygen molecules exist in .
NASA’s and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Saturn probe Cassini discovered a huge plume of material ejecting through the ice in the southern hemisphere of Enceladus in 2005. Additionally, close-flight observations in 2011 and 2012 confirmed the presence of five types of substances in the material column: water, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and hydrogen molecules.
In this study, the research team reanalyzed data collected in 2011 and 2012 by the Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) on board Cassini and compared it with a large catalog of known mass spectra.
Using statistical analysis techniques, they analyzed billions of potential components that may be in the gas plume, and in addition to the five substances previously identified in the emission plume, such as water and methane, they also identified hydrogen cyanide (HCN), acetylene (C2H2), and propylene (C3H6). , ethane (C2H6), trace amounts of methanol (CH3OH), and oxygen molecules.
The research team said that the six substances identified this time are very important substances related to the possibility of an environment in which life can exist on Enceladus. These substances, along with mineralogy catalysts and redox differences due to surface radiolysis, have the potential to contribute to the survival of microorganisms. He said he could support it.
The research team added, however, that whether these compounds can support life survival on Enceladus may largely depend on how diluted these substances are in the ocean beneath the icy surface that covers Enceladus.
◆ 출처 : Nature Astronomy, Jonah Peter et al., ‘Detection of HCN and diverse redox chemistry in the plume of Enceladus’,
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2023/12/15 05:00 Sent
