Europa’s surface receives about 540 rem per year of radiation, equivalent to roughly two million medical chest X-ray exposures for a human. Such conditions would damage spacecraft electronics within weeks. The intense bombardment arises from Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field, which traps charged particles originating from the Sun and from Jupiter’s own atmospheric fluctuations.
These high-energy ions form a broad region of magnetospheric plasma around the planet. Europa, orbiting within this region with minimal atmospheric shielding, is continually exposed to these particles. They are also striking the ice break water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.nThis process supports the creation of occasional plumes of water vapor erupting from Europa’s surface.
Radiation shapes Europa’s surface in additional ways. High-energy particles, likely ions and electrons accelerated within the magnetosphere, alter the chemical structures of surface ice and produce layers of radiolysis byproducts that mask the true nature of the terrain below.
iGadgetPro
Europa’s surface receives about 540 rem per year of radiation, equivalent to roughly two million medical chest X-ray exposures for a human. Such conditions would damage spacecraft electronics within weeks. The intense bombardment arises from Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field, which traps charged particles originating from the Sun and from Jupiter’s own atmospheric fluctuations.
These high-energy ions form a broad region of magnetospheric plasma around the planet. Europa, orbiting within this region with minimal atmospheric shielding, is continually exposed to these particles. They are also striking the ice break water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.nThis process supports the creation of occasional plumes of water vapor erupting from Europa’s surface.
Radiation shapes Europa’s surface in additional ways. High-energy particles, likely ions and electrons accelerated within the magnetosphere, alter the chemical structures of surface ice and produce layers of radiolysis byproducts that mask the true nature of the terrain below.
Visualisation of Europa — by iGadgetPro
6 days ago | [YT] | 191