Titan, Saturn's largest moon and the only known celestial body other than Earth to have liquid on its surface, is being carefully studied by planetary scientists. Their analysis showed that beneath the moon's icy surface, which is approximately minus 297 degrees Fahrenheit, lies a vast ocean.
New, more in-depth analysis published in Nature however, suggested that Titan's deep “oceans” may actually be dense layers of hydrocarbon slurry.
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The mystery of Saturn's moon
Researchers have suggested for the first time that Titan may have oceans, based on a NASA analysis. Cassini mission to Saturn that first reached the gas giant in 2004. But the probe data did not match some other physical data. Cassini recorded.
Titan's lemon-shaped orbit around Saturn causes the Moon to stretch and contract depending on where it is in its path. Researchers believe such radical physical changes could only have occurred thanks to the vast ocean.
“The degree of deformation depends on Titaniuminternal structure. A deep ocean would allow the crust to bend more under Saturn's gravitational pull, but if Titan were completely frozen, it would not deform as much,” explained Baptiste Journeau, a planetary scientist at the University of Washington and co-author of the study, in his paper. press release.
The new study adds an additional metric—time—to earlier studies of how Saturn changes its moon. The team noted that rather than warping when the gas giant's gravity was strongest, Titan shifted about 15 hours later. They realized that this could be due to viscosity.
While a kiddie pool full of water can be moved relatively easily (by a cannonball fired by an overeager adult, for example), the same pool filled with jelly will require much more energy to move. Likewise, the researchers realized that the time delay was due to Titan's thicker consistency, requiring more energy to shift.
By calculating this energy, the team was able to decipher what Titan's interior was likely made of. The global ocean theory did not fit the data.
“Smoking Gun” inside Titan
“Instead of an open ocean like here on Earth, we're probably looking at something more like Arctic sea ice or aquifers, which influences what type of life we can find, as well as the availability of nutrients, energy, and so on,” Journeau said.
This sequence still explains why Titanium may be compressed by Saturn's gravity, but is also the cause of the delay. “No one expected the very strong dissipation of energy inside Titan. This was clear evidence that Titan's interior is different from what was inferred from previous analyses,” NASA planetary scientist Flavio Petricca, who also co-authored the study, said in a press release.
In his research, Petricca analyzed the propagation time of radio waves emitted by Cassini during Titan flybys. Journeau confirmed his colleague's suspicions by modeling how ice and water might react deep in Titan's oceans.
“The water layer on Titan is so thick, the pressure is so enormous, that the physics of water changes. Water and ice behave differently than sea water here on Earth,” Journeau said.
If Titan's seas are not as watery as they first appear, could this reduce the Moon's chances of harboring life? The authors argue that the opposite may be true. If most of the planet's water is actually slush, then the remaining water-filled areas would likely be much warmer, up to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. These more favorable conditions may combine with more nutrient-rich waters, which may also increase the likelihood of life forming.
“Detection of a layer of slush on Titanium “This expands the range of environments that we might consider habitable,” study author and planetary scientist Ola Jones said in a press release.
Read more: Icy moons orbiting Saturn and Uranus may hide boiling liquid oceans
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