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Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences Colloquium
Monday, November 11, 2013 at 4:00 PM JILA Auditorium Dr. J. Brad Dalton,III, Jet Propulsion Laboratory "Surface and Inferred Interior Composition of Europa"  Abstract:At the present time, our best knowledge of the composition of Europa's putative subsurface ocean depends upon chemical abundances of surface compounds inferred from infrared observation. Ground-based and spacecraft observations of disrupted surface units indicate the presence of water ice contaminated with hydrated sulfate salts, simple organic compounds, and implanted elemental species that drive chemical reactions, obscuring the original oceanic signature. Using Galileo Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) observations, I will present the foundation for our current understanding of the general oceanic and crustal composition, secondary phases resulting from geochemical and photolytic reactions, evidence for habitability and the potential for extant or extinct single-celled microorganisms.
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