5 research outputs found
Detection of abundant solid methanol toward young low mass stars
We present detections of the absorption band at 3.53 micron due to solid
methanol toward three low-mass young stellar objects located in the Serpens and
Chameleon molecular cloud complexes. The sources were observed as part of a
large spectroscopic survey of ~40 protostars. This is the first detection of
solid methanol in the vicinity of low mass (M <1 Msol) young stars and shows
that the formation of methanol does not depend on the proximity of massive
young stars. The abundances of solid methanol compared to water ice for the
three sources are in the range 15-25% which is comparable to those for the most
methanol-rich massive sources known. The presence of abundant methanol in the
circumstellar environment of some low mass young stars has important
consequences for the formation scenarios of methanol and more complex organic
species near young solar-type stars.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A letter
Moonraker -- Enceladus Multiple Flyby Mission
Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, possesses an internal water ocean and jets
expelling ocean material into space. Cassini investigations indicated that the
subsurface ocean could be a habitable environment having a complex interaction
with the rocky core. Further investigation of the composition of the plume
formed by the jets is necessary to fully understand the ocean, its potential
habitability, and what it tells us about Enceladus' origin. Moonraker has been
proposed as an ESA M-class mission designed to orbit Saturn and perform
multiple flybys of Enceladus, focusing on traversals of the plume. The proposed
Moonraker mission consists of an ESA-provided platform, with strong heritage
from JUICE and Mars Sample Return, and carrying a suite of instruments
dedicated to plume and surface analysis. The nominal Moonraker mission has a
duration of 13.5 years. It includes a 23-flyby segment with 189 days allocated
for the science phase, and can be expanded with additional segments if
resources allow. The mission concept consists in investigating: i) the
habitability conditions of present-day Enceladus and its internal ocean, ii)
the mechanisms at play for the communication between the internal ocean and the
surface of the South Polar Terrain, and iii) the formation conditions of the
moon. Moonraker, thanks to state-of-the-art instruments representing a
significant improvement over Cassini's payload, would quantify the abundance of
key species in the plume, isotopic ratios, and physical parameters of the plume
and the surface. Such a mission would pave the way for a possible future landed
mission.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journa
Moonraker -- Enceladus Multiple Flyby Mission
Accepted for publication in The Planetary Science JournalEnceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, possesses an internal water ocean and jets expelling ocean material into space. Cassini investigations indicated that the subsurface ocean could be a habitable environment having a complex interaction with the rocky core. Further investigation of the composition of the plume formed by the jets is necessary to fully understand the ocean, its potential habitability, and what it tells us about Enceladus' origin. Moonraker has been proposed as an ESA M-class mission designed to orbit Saturn and perform multiple flybys of Enceladus, focusing on traversals of the plume. The proposed Moonraker mission consists of an ESA-provided platform, with strong heritage from JUICE and Mars Sample Return, and carrying a suite of instruments dedicated to plume and surface analysis. The nominal Moonraker mission has a duration of 13.5 years. It includes a 23-flyby segment with 189 days allocated for the science phase, and can be expanded with additional segments if resources allow. The mission concept consists in investigating: i) the habitability conditions of present-day Enceladus and its internal ocean, ii) the mechanisms at play for the communication between the internal ocean and the surface of the South Polar Terrain, and iii) the formation conditions of the moon. Moonraker, thanks to state-of-the-art instruments representing a significant improvement over Cassini's payload, would quantify the abundance of key species in the plume, isotopic ratios, and physical parameters of the plume and the surface. Such a mission would pave the way for a possible future landed mission