An experimental and data analysis investigation into the trapped gases and non-ice material in the surfaces of the outer planets icy satellites
EMSL Project ID
10906
Abstract
We propose a three-year effort to (1) investigate the spectral nature and stability of adsorbed gases (CO2, SO2, and possibly CH4) onto non-ice materials at cryogenic temperatures as analogs to the surfaces of icy satellites in the outer Solar System, and specifically to Callisto, and to (2) improve the calibration/rectification of the Callisto NIMS dataset to better compare to laboratory results, to better interpret already identified NIMS spectral features, and to map their distributions at a greater resolution and over a greater portion of Callisto than previously possible. A new calibration for gain state 4 NIMS observations will be developed and already-existing software tools for removing spectral and image artifacts will be modified (if necessary) and applied to the newly-calibrated Callisto NIMS data. As part of this effort, we will be able to further investigate the distributions of the CN - , CH - , and SH – related infrared absorption features on Callisto. The improved NIMS Callisto data set will thereby enable us to refine our understanding of the bulk and trace non-ice materials there, and will help us to better interpret our laboratory results. In the process we will make available to PDS a set of NIMS observations for Callisto that are the best and most complete possible. Our results can be used by others to investigate the water-ice properties on Callisto and to interpret similar non-ice spectral features on Ganymede. These results will potentially apply to the Cassini and JIMO missions. To accomplish these objectives we will combine our extensive understanding of the NIMS instrument and data, our extensive set of software tools developed by us for previous analyses, and our 6 years of extensive collaborations with multiple research groups possessing state-of-the-art equipment at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). The combination of data analysis, laboratory experiments, and the subsequent comparison of these two efforts will create a powerful method to address several fundamental questions including ‘What is the non-ice material on Callisto and how are the trace volatiles bound to it?’
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2004-09-30
End Date
2006-10-01
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator