The fractured Moon: Production and saturation of porosity in the lunar highlands from impact cratering

We have analyzed the Bouguer anomaly (BA) of ~1200 complex craters in the lunar highlands from Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory observations. The BA of these craters is generally negative, though positive BA values are observed, particularly for smaller craters. Crater BA values scale inversely with crater diameter, quantifying how larger impacts produce more extensive fracturing and dilatant bulking. The Bouguer anomaly of craters larger than urn:x-wiley:00948276:media:grl53324:grl53324-math-0001 km in diameter is independent of crater size, indicating that there is a limiting depth to impact‐generated porosity, presumably from pore collapse associated with either overburden pressure or viscous flow. Impact‐generated porosity of the bulk lunar crust is likely in a state of equilibrium for craters smaller than ~30 km in diameter, consistent with an ~8 km thick lunar megaregolith, whereas the gravity signature of larger craters is still preserved and provides new insight into the cratering record of even the oldest lunar surfaces

Photochemically-produced SO2_2 in the atmosphere of WASP-39b

Photochemistry is a fundamental process of planetary atmospheres that regulates the atmospheric composition and stability. However, no unambiguous photochemical products have been detected in exoplanet atmospheres to date. Recent observations from the JWST Transiting Exoplanet Early Release Science Program found a spectral absorption feature at 4.05 $\mu$m arising from SO$_2$ in the atmosphere of WASP-39b. WASP-39b is a 1.27-Jupiter-radii, Saturn-mass (0.28 M$_J$) gas giant exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star with an equilibrium temperature of $\sim$1100 K. The most plausible way of generating SO$_2$ in such an atmosphere is through photochemical processes. Here we show that the SO$_2$ distribution computed by a suite of photochemical models robustly explains the 4.05 $\mu$m spectral feature identified by JWST transmission observations with NIRSpec PRISM (2.7$\sigma$) and G395H (4.5$\sigma$). SO$_2$ is produced by successive oxidation of sulphur radicals freed when hydrogen sulphide (H$_2$S) is destroyed. The sensitivity of the SO$_2$ feature to the enrichment of the atmosphere by heavy elements (metallicity) suggests that it can be used as a tracer of atmospheric properties, with WASP-39b exhibiting an inferred metallicity of $\sim$10$\times$ solar. We further point out that SO$_2$ also shows observable features at ultraviolet and thermal infrared wavelengths not available from the existing observations.Comment: 39 pages, 14 figures, accepted to be published in Natur

Photochemically produced SO2 in the atmosphere of WASP-39b

Photochemistry is a fundamental process of planetary atmospheres that regulates the atmospheric composition and stability1. However, no unambiguous photochemical products have been detected in exoplanet atmospheres so far. Recent observations from the JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Program2,3 found a spectral absorption feature at 4.05 μm arising from sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the atmosphere of WASP-39b. WASP-39b is a 1.27-Jupiter-radii, Saturn-mass (0.28 MJ) gas giant exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star with an equilibrium temperature of around 1,100 K (ref. 4). The most plausible way of generating SO2 in such an atmosphere is through photochemical processes5,6. Here we show that the SO2 distribution computed by a suite of photochemical models robustly explains the 4.05-μm spectral feature identified by JWST transmission observations7 with NIRSpec PRISM (2.7σ)8 and G395H (4.5σ)9. SO2 is produced by successive oxidation of sulfur radicals freed when hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is destroyed. The sensitivity of the SO2 feature to the enrichment of the atmosphere by heavy elements (metallicity) suggests that it can be used as a tracer of atmospheric properties, with WASP-39b exhibiting an inferred metallicity of about 10× solar. We further point out that SO2 also shows observable features at ultraviolet and thermal infrared wavelengths not available from the existing observations

Tidal Heating: Lessons from Io and the Jovian System - Final Report

Tidal heating is key to the evolution and habitability of many worlds across our solar system and beyond. However, there remain fundamental gaps in our understanding of tidal heating and coupled orbital evolution, which motivated a Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) workshop on this topic. The Cassini mission has led to many recent results about ocean worlds and what may become a new paradigm for understanding orbital evolution with tidal heating, the model of resonance locking in the parent planet (Fuller et al., 2016). Resonance locking explains how subsurface oceans may persist over much of geologic time, even in tiny Enceladus. The discovery of the Laplace resonance of Io, Europa, and Ganymede orbiting Jupiter led to the prediction of intense tidal heating of Io (Peale et al., 1979); this system provides the greatest potential for advances in the next few decades. Europa Clipper and JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) will provide in-depth studies of Europa and Ganymede in the 2030s. The easily observed heat flow of Io, from hundreds of continually erupting volcanoes, makes it an ideal target for further investigation, and the missing link—along with missions in development—to understand the Laplace system. We identified five key questions to drive future research and exploration: (Q1) What do volcanic eruptions tell us about the interiors of tidally heated bodies (e.g., Io, Enceladus, and perhaps Europa and Triton)? (Q2) How is tidal dissipation partitioned between solid and liquid materials? (Q3) Does Io have a melt-rich layer, or “magma ocean”, that mechanically decouples the lithosphere from the deeper interior? (Q4) Is the Jupiter/Laplace system in equilibrium (i.e., does the satellite’s heat output equal the rate at which energy is generated)? (Q5) Can stable isotope measurements inform long-term evolution of tidally heated bodies? The most promising avenues to address these questions include a new spacecraft mission making close flybys of Io, missions orbiting and landing on key worlds such as Europa and Enceladus, technology developments to enable advanced techniques, closer coupling between laboratory experiments and tidal heating theory, and advances in Earth-based telescopic observations of solar system and extrasolar planets and moons. All of these avenues would benefit from technological developments. An Io mission should: characterize volcanic processes (Q1); test interior models via a set of geophysical measurements coupled with laboratory experiments and theory (Q2 and Q3); measure the rate of Io’s orbital migration (to complement similar measurements expected at Europa and Ganymede) to determine if the Laplace resonance is in equilibrium (Q4); and determine neutral compositions and measure stable isotopes in Io’s atmosphere and plumes (Q5). No new technologies are required for such an Io mission following advances in radiation design and solar power realized for Europa Clipper and JUICE. Seismology is a promising avenue for future exploration, either from landers or remote laser reflectometry, and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) could be revolutionary on these active worlds, but advanced power systems plus lower mass and power-active instruments are needed for operation in the outer solar system

Recommendations for Addressing Priority Io Science in the Next Decade

Io is a priority destination for solar system exploration. The scope and importance of science questions at Io necessitates a broad portfolio of research and analysis, telescopic observations, and planetary missions - including a dedicated New Frontiers class Io mission

The Science Case for Io Exploration

Io is a priority destination for solar system exploration, as it is the best natural laboratory to study the intertwined processes of tidal heating, extreme volcanism, and atmosphere-magnetosphere interactions. Io exploration is relevant to understanding terrestrial worlds (including the early Earth), ocean worlds, and exoplanets across the cosmos

Explaining the Galilean Satellites’ Density Gradient by Hydrodynamic Escape

The Galilean satellites exhibit a monotonic decrease in density (and increase in ice mass fraction) with distance from Jupiter (Pollack & Fanale 1982). Whether this is because of the background conditions when they formed (Lunine & Stevenson 1982; Canup & Ward 2002; Mosqueira & Estrada 2003a; Ronnet et al. 2017), the process of accretion itself (Dwyer et al. 2013), or later loss due to tidal heating (Canup & Ward 2009), has been in dispute for forty years. We find that a hitherto largely neglected process - vapor loss driven by accretional heating (Kuramoto & Matsui 1994) - can reproduce the observed density trend for accretion timescales ≳300 kyr, consistent with gas-starved satellite formation models (Canup & Ward 2002, 2006). In this model both Io and Europa develop an early surface liquid water ocean. Vapor escape from this ocean causes the water inventories of Io and Europa to be completely and mostly lost, respectively. Isotopic fractionation arising from vapor loss means that Europa will develop a higher D/H ratio compared with Ganymede and Callisto. We make predictions that can be tested with in situ measurements of D/H of potential Europa plumes (Roth et al. 2014) by the Europa Clipper spacecraft, or infrared spectroscopic determinations (Clark et al. 2019) of D/H at all three bodies