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P.D. Cooper, M.H. Moore (NASA Goddard), R.L. Hudson (Eckerd College)
Observations suggest ozone (O3) is present on the icy surfaces of Ganymede (1), and Rhea and Dione (2). Molecular oxygen (O2) has also been observed on Europa (3) and Ganymede (4). The formation and trapping of such molecules in ice and their subsequent transportation to a sub-surface ocean may be potentially important for sustaining astrobiological life (5).
It is assumed that ozone is produced in these icy surfaces by the addition of an oxygen atom to molecular oxygen, with the latter formed by prior irradiation of the water ice. The infrared absorption band of ozone in ice at ~1037 cm-1 is strong and thus makes ozone a good tracer for the presence of molecular oxygen which is difficult to detect.
We will present results of water/oxygen ices irradiated with 800 keV protons and show the band position and growth of ozone with increasing radiation dose. The thermal stability of this radiolytically-produced ozone has also been measured and comparisons made to the Jovian satellites.
P. Cooper is grateful for the support from the National Academies Research Associateship Program.
(1) Noll, K.S., Johnson, R.E., Lane, A.L., Domingue, D.L., Weaver, H.A., Science, 273, 341-343, (1996).
(2) Noll, K.S., Roush, T.L., Cruikshank, D.P., Johnson, R.E., Pendleton, Y.J., Nature, 388, 45-47, (1997).
(3) Spencer, J.R., Calvin, W.M., Astron. J., 124, 3400-3403, (2002).
(4) Spencer, J.R., Calvin, W.M., Person, M. J., J. Geo. Res. 100 (E9), 19049-19056 (1995).
(5) Chyba, C.F., Hand, K.P., Science, 292, 2026-2027, (2001).
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The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: paul.cooper@ssedmail.gsfc.nasa.gov
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.