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2013 Annual Science Report

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory - Icy Worlds Reporting  |  SEP 2012 – AUG 2013

Executive Summary

Our goal in the Astrobiology of the Icy Worlds Investigation is to advance our understanding of the role of ice in the broad context of astrobiology through a combined laboratory, numerical, analytical, and field investigations. Icy Worlds team will pursue this goal through four major investigations namely, the habitability, survivability, and detectability of life of icy worlds coupled with “*Path to Flight*” Technology demonstrations.

A search for life linked to the search for water should naturally “follow the ice”. Can life emerge and thrive in a cold, lightless world beneath hundreds of kilometers of ice? And if so, do the icy shells hold clues to life in the subsurface? These questions are the primary motivation of our science investigations which are as follows:

* Habitability of Icy Worlds investigates the habitability of liquid water environments in icy worlds, with a focus on what processes may give ... Continue reading.

Field Sites
9 Institutions
4 Project Reports
31 Publications
1 Field Site
Roadmap
Objectives

Project Reports

  • Investigation 2: Survivability on Icy Worlds

    Investigation 2 focuses on survivability. As part of our survivability investigation, we examine the similarities and differences between the abiotic chemistry of planetary ices irradiated with ultraviolet photons (UV), electrons, and ions, and the chemistry of biomolecules exposed to similar conditions. Can the chemical products resulting from these two scenarios be distinguished? Can viable microbes persist after exposure to such conditions? These are motivating questions for our investigation.

    ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 2.2 3.2 5.1 5.3 6.1 6.2
  • Investigation 3: Detectability of Icy Worlds

    Detectability of Icy Worlds investigates the detectability of life and biological materials on the surface of icy worlds, with a focus on spectroscopic techniques, and on spectral bands that are not in some way connected to photosynthesis.The primary component of Investigation 3 is the field campaign in Barrow, AK to characterize and quantify methane release from the Alaskan North Slope region and to understand the origin and fate of the methane.

    ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 1.1 2.2 5.3 6.1 6.2
  • Investigation 1: Habitability of Icy Worlds

    Habitability of Icy Worlds investigates the habitability of liquid water environments in icy worlds, with a focus on what processes may give rise to life, what processes may sustain life, and what processes may deliver that life to the surface. Habitability of Icy Worlds investigation has three major objectives. Objective 1, Seafloor Processes, explores conditions that might be conducive to originating and supporting life in icy world interiors. Objective 2, Ocean Processes, investigates the formation of prebiotic cell membranes under simulated deep-ocean conditions, and Objective 3, Ice Shell Processes, investigates astrobiological aspects of ice shell evolution.

    ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 3.2 4.1 5.1 5.2 5.3 6.2 7.1 7.2
  • Investigation 4: Path to the Flight

    The (Field Instrumentation and) Path to Flight investigation’s purpose is to enable in-situ measurements of organics and biological material with field instrumentation that have high potential for future flight instrumentation. The preceding three Investigations provide a variety of measurable goals used to modify or “tune” instrumentation that can be placed in the field. In addition the members of this Investigation provide new measurement capabilities that have been developed with the specific goal of life-detection. The instrument arsenal goes beyond the commercially available instrumentation and brings next generation imaging spectrometers, chromatographic, and sample extraction devices.

    ROADMAP OBJECTIVES: 2.1 2.2 6.1 7.1

Education & Public Outreach

Publications

  • Abbey, W., Salas, E., Bhartia, R., & Beegle, L. W. (2013). The Mojave Vadose Zone: A Subsurface Biosphere Analogue for Mars. Astrobiology, 13(7), 637–646. doi:10.1089/ast.2012.0948

  • Allodi, M. A., Baragiola, R. A., Baratta, G. A., Barucci, M. A., Blake, G. A., Boduch, P., … Strazzulla, G. (2013). Complementary and Emerging Techniques for Astrophysical Ices Processed in the Laboratory. Space Sci Rev, 180(1-4), 101–175. doi:10.1007/s11214-013-0020-8

  • Barge, L. M., Doloboff, I. J., White, L. M., Stucky, G. D., Russell, M. J., & Kanik, I. (2012). Characterization of Iron–Phosphate–Silicate Chemical Garden Structures. Langmuir, 28(8), 3714–3721. doi:10.1021/la203727g

  • Boduch, P., Domaracka, A., Fulvio, D., Langlinay, T., Lv, X. Y., Palumbo, M. E., … Strazzulla, G. (2012). Chemistry induced by energetic ions in water ice mixed with molecular nitrogen and oxygen. A&A, 544, A30. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219365

  • Branscomb, E., & Russell, M. J. (2013). Turnstiles and bifurcators: The disequilibrium converting engines that put metabolism on the road. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Bioenergetics, 1827(2), 62–78. doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2012.10.003

  • Brown, M. E., & Hand, K. P. (2013). SALTS AND RADIATION PRODUCTS ON THE SURFACE OF EUROPA. The Astronomical Journal, 145(4), 110. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/145/4/110

  • Cassidy, T. A., Paranicas, C. P., Shirley, J. H., Dalton III, J. B., Teolis, B. D., Johnson, R. E., … Hendrix, A. R. (2013). Magnetospheric ion sputtering and water ice grain size at Europa. Planetary and Space Science, 77, 64–73. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.07.008

  • Dalton, J. B., & Pitman, K. M. (2012). Low temperature optical constants of some hydrated sulfates relevant to planetary surfaces. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 117(E9), n/a–n/a. doi:10.1029/2011je004036

  • Dalton, J. B., Cassidy, T., Paranicas, C., Shirley, J. H., Prockter, L. M., & Kamp, L. W. (2013). Exogenic controls on sulfuric acid hydrate production at the surface of Europa. Planetary and Space Science, 77, 45–63. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.05.013

  • Ding, J. J., Boduch, P., Domaracka, A., Guillous, S., Langlinay, T., Lv, X. Y., … Strazzulla, G. (2013). Implantation of multiply charged sulfur ions in water ice. Icarus, 226(1), 860–864. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.07.002

  • Etiope, G., Vance, S., Christensen, L. E., Marques, J. M., & Costa, I. R. d. (2013). Methane in serpentinized ultramafic rocks in mainland Portugal. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 45, 12–16. doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2013.04.009

  • Goguen, J. D., Buratti, B. J., Brown, R. H., Clark, R. N., Nicholson, P. D., Hedman, M. M., … Blackburn, D. G. (2013). The temperature and width of an active fissure on Enceladus measured with Cassini VIMS during the 14 April 2012 South Pole flyover. Icarus, 226(1), 1128–1137. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.07.012

  • Hand, K. P., & Brown, M. E. (2013). KECK II OBSERVATIONS OF HEMISPHERICAL DIFFERENCES IN H 2 O 2 ON EUROPA. The Astrophysical Journal, 766(2), L21. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/766/2/l21

  • Lv, X. Y., De Barros, A. L. F., Boduch, P., Bordalo, V., Da Silveira, E. F., Domaracka, A., … Strazzulla, G. (2012). Implantation of multiply charged carbon ions in water ice. A&A, 546, A81. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219886

  • Marion, G. M., Murray, A. E., Wagner, B., Fritsen, C. H., Kenig, F., & Doran, P. T. (2013). Carbon Sequestration and Release from Antarctic Lakes: Lake Vida and West Lake Bonney (McMurdo Dry Valleys). Aquat Geochem, 19(2), 135–145. doi:10.1007/s10498-012-9184-1

  • Murray, A. E., Kenig, F., Fritsen, C. H., McKay, C. P., Cawley, K. M., Edwards, R., … Doran, P. T. (2012). Microbial life at -13  C in the brine of an ice-sealed Antarctic lake. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(50), 20626–20631. doi:10.1073/pnas.1208607109

  • Nitschke, W., & Russell, M. J. (2013). Beating the acetyl coenzyme A-pathway to the origin of life. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 368(1622), 20120258–20120258. doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0258

  • Nitschke, W., McGlynn, S. E., Milner-White, E. J., & Russell, M. J. (2013). On the antiquity of metalloenzymes and their substrates in bioenergetics. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Bioenergetics, 1827(8-9), 871–881. doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2013.02.008

  • Pappalardo, R. T., Vance, S., Bagenal, F., Bills, B. G., Blaney, D. L., Blankenship, D. D., … Soderlund, K. M. (2013). Science Potential from a Europa Lander. Astrobiology, 13(8), 740–773. doi:10.1089/ast.2013.1003

  • Russell, M. J., Barge, L. M., Bhartia, R., Bocanegra, D., Bracher, P. J., Branscomb, E., … Kanik, I. (2014). The Drive to Life on Wet and Icy Worlds. Astrobiology, 14(4), 308–343. doi:10.1089/ast.2013.1110

  • Russell, M. J., Nitschke, W., & Branscomb, E. (2013). The inevitable journey to being. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 368(1622), 20120254–20120254. doi:10.1098/rstb.2012.0254

  • Schoepp-Cothenet, B., Van Lis, R., Atteia, A., Baymann, F., Capowiez, L., Ducluzeau, A-L., … Nitschke, W. (2013). On the universal core of bioenergetics. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Bioenergetics, 1827(2), 79–93. doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2012.09.005

  • Strazzulla, G. (2013). Crystalline and amorphous structure of astrophysical ices. Low Temp. Phys., 39(5), 430. doi:10.1063/1.4807045

  • Tsou, P., Brownlee, D. E., McKay, C. P., Anbar, A. D., Yano, H., Altwegg, K., … Kanik, I. (2012). LIFE: Life Investigation For Enceladus A Sample Return Mission Concept in Search for Evidence of Life. Astrobiology, 12(8), 730–742. doi:10.1089/ast.2011.0813

  • Vance, S., & Michael Brown, J. (2013). Thermodynamic properties of aqueous MgSO4 to 800MPa at temperatures from −20 to 100°C and concentrations to 2.5molkg−1 from sound speeds, with applications to icy world oceans. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 110, 176–189. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2013.01.040

  • Vance, S., Bouffard, M., Choukroun, M., & Sotin, C. (2014). Ganymede׳s internal structure including thermodynamics of magnesium sulfate oceans in contact with ice. Planetary and Space Science, 96, 62–70. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2014.03.011

  • Bhartia, R., Hug, W.F., Fries, M., Reid, R., White, L. & Salas, E.  (2013).  Sample Alteration and Solutions for Planetary Science.  Astrobiology.
  • Ding, J.J., Boduch, P., Domaracka, A., Langlinay, T., Lv, X.Y., Palumbo, M.E., Rothard, H. & Strazzulla, G.  (2012).  Implantation of Sn+ ions on the Galilean moons.  EPSC.
  • Noell, A.C., Ely, T., Bolser, D., Darrach, H., Hodyss, R., Johnson, P.V. & Ponce, A.  (2014).  Spectroscopy and viability of Bacillus subtilis spores after ultraviolet irradiation: Implications for the detection of potential bacterial life on Europa.  Astrobiology.
  • Vance, S. & Goodman, J.  (2013).  The influence of salinity on the structure and dynamics of Europa’s ocean and ice shell.  Journal Of Geophysical Research-Planets.
  • Vance, S., Christensen, L.E. & Aubrey, A.  (2013).  Carbon Responsive Isotope Reports Laser Spectrometer (CRILS).  NTR-49291.

2013 Teams