Exploring the Prebiotic Chemistry of Europa

Abstract

<div class="page" role="region" data-page-number="1" aria-label="Page 1" data-loaded="true"> <div class="textLayer"><strong><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">1</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Abstract</span></strong></div> <div class="textLayer"><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Europa is one of the celestial bodies within our solar system that has the highest potential of harbouring life. </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">In this poster, we will discuss a method which will be used to help determine the survivability of life on Europa </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">and whether or not Europa has the appropriate chemistry necessary for life.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Through subjecting regolith in </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">aqueous solution to UV/Visible radiation, and adopting a ’systems chemistry’ approach, the yield of organic </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">matter, more specifically amino acids, produced will be investigated to determine the prime conditions and </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">chemicals required for life on Europa.</span></div> <div class="textLayer"><br role="presentation" /><strong><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">2</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Introduction</span></strong></div> <div class="textLayer"><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">As the ability to explore complexity and study planets and celestial bodies within our own solar system becomes </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">more feasible, it is increasingly practical to address the age old question of whether life can, or cannot, exist </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">outside of the Earth.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">With the forthcoming European Space Agency (ESA) JUpiter ICy moons Explorer </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">(JUICE) mission, the focus on the viability of life has been shifted onto the icy moons of Jupiter. The moons of </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Jupiter (particularly Europa and Ganymede) have high potential for life and have become of particular interest </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">for research in the fields of Astrochemistry and Astrobiology.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Specifically for the moon Europa, the interest </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">lies in whether the moon has the necessary chemistry for life to emerge, [3]. By performing a systematic study </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">of how Europan regoliths/salts react with plausible molecules after being irradiated and subject to similar </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Europan conditions, the likelihood of life emerging on Europa can be quantified. With the potential discovery </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">of organics on the surface and near sub surface it is increasingly urgent to determine the composition and routes </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">to synthesis of these organics.</span></div> <div class="textLayer"><br role="presentation" /><strong><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">3</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Method</span></strong></div> <div class="textLayer"><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Samples of formulated Europan soil or salt analogues will be added to an aqueous solution of water and a molecule </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">that has been observed in the interstellar medium (ISM), [1]. With varying ratios of aqueous solution, mineral, </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">and ISM relevant molecule, the samples are irradiated with UV/Visible light using a range of wavelengths </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">(365nm, 425nm, 475-480nm, 650nm, and 6200K lamps) for periods of time ranging from 72 hours to 120 </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">hours.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">A statistical experimental design approach will be employed.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">The resulting residue using both high-</span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LCMS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometry </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">(GCMS). A ’targeted’ methodology will be employed for the analyses specifically to determine if the analyte </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">contains amino acids, or any trace of amino acids, [2].</span></div> <div class="textLayer"><br role="presentation" /><strong><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">4</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Results</span></strong></div> <div class="textLayer"><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">An initial screening run of this experiment using Martian, Earth, and Moon regolith revealed that the resulting </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">residue from photolysis (using the 325nm, 650nm, and 6200K lamps) of the Martian and Earth regolith showed </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">trace amounts of simple amino acids. However, due to a lack of sample work-up procedures, including deriviti</span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">zation, the results were ultimately inconclusive. Method development and validation of the sample preparation </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">and analysis will be presented, and is under development to be active in autumn 2022. From the initial screening </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">experiments, it is hypothesized however, that by irradiating the Europan salt/soil analogues within an aqueous </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">solution, trace amounts of simple amino acids are postulated to form in the resulting residue.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">This is as a </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">consequence of using the same ISM relevant molecule and chemical similarities between the Martian regolith </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">and what is postulated to be in Europa’s soil/oceans. The implications for Europa to previously, currently, or </span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">subsequently, harbour life will be discussed. Further details and results will be presented at the meeting.</span></div> </div> <div class="page" role="region" data-page-number="2" aria-label="Page 2" data-loaded="true"> <div class="canvasWrapper"> </div> <div class="textLayer"><strong><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">References</span></strong><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">[1] Pascale Ehrenfreund and Karl M. Menten.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">From Molecular Clouds to the Origin of Life</span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">, pages 7–23. Springer</span><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2002.</span><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">[2] Norio Kitadai and Shigenori Maruyama. Origins of building blocks of life: A review.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Geoscience Frontiers</span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">,</span><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">9(4):1117–1153, 2018.</span><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">[3] Jere H. Lipps and Sarah Rieboldt. Habitats and taphonomy of europa.</span> <span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Icarus</span><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">, 177(2):515–527, 2005. Europa</span><br role="presentation" /><span dir="ltr" role="presentation">Icy Shell.</span></div> </div>