Search for volatiles on icy satellites. I. Europa

Journal Article · Sun May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988 · Icarus; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(88)90041-3· OSTI ID:6969322

Brown, R H; Cruikshank, D P; Tokunaga, A T; Smith, R G; Clark, R N

NASA IRTF reflectance spectra of unprecedented precision, obtained for the leading and trailing sides of Europa, are presently noted to no longer show the apparent absorptions seen in 1980 and 1985. It is presently suggested that if the weak absorptions seen in the 1980 and 1985 data are real, they may indicate the transient spectroscopic presence of a molecular component on Europa's trailing side that differs from the water ice known to be the dominant constituent of the surface. 33 references.

• Research Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (USA); Hawaii Univ., Honolulu (USA); USGS, Geophysics Branch, Denver, CO (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6969322
• Journal Information: Icarus; (United States), Vol. 74
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
JUPITER PLANET
SATELLITES
AMMONIA
CARBON MONOXIDE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ICE
INFRARED RADIATION
METHANE
REFLECTIVITY
SATURN PLANET
SOLAR SYSTEM
URANUS PLANET
VOLATILITY
ALKANES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
HYDRIDES
HYDROCARBONS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena