. 24/7 Space News .
EXO WORLDS
NASA simulator helps to shed light on mysteries of Solar System
by Staff Writers
Lisbon, Portugal (SPX) Apr 04, 2022

File illustration of phosphine molecules.

Even in our cosmic backyard, the Solar System, many questions remain open. On Venus there are formations similar to volcanoes, but it is not known if they are active. The surface of Mars suggests that there was once a vast ocean, but how it disappeared remains unclear. On the other hand, recent detections of chemical compounds that may indicate the presence of biological activity on Mars and Venus, the so-called biosignatures, keep the search for life outside Earth alive. The answers may lie in the analysis of the light that reaches us from these planets, through the "fingerprints" that the molecules leave in the spectrum of that light.

In the study now published in the Atmosphere scientific journal, researchers from the Instituto de Astrofisica e Ciencias do Espaco (Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Portugal) compared simulations obtained with the Planetary Spectrum Generator (PSG), a planetary spectrum simulator, with observations of infrared light from the planets Venus, Mars and Jupiter.

Using PSG, developed by NASA, the team was able to explain the results of some observations and conclude that this simulator is an effective tool for studying the abundances of chemical compounds present in small amounts in planetary atmospheres.

One of the chemical compounds analyzed, methane, may originate from both biological activity and geological processes. That's why its elusive presence on Mars, with detection by the Mars Express spacecraft and the absence of detection by the ExoMars TGO spacecraft, remains a mystery.

"By varying the parameters of our simulations, we were able to explain this detection and non-detection of methane on Mars and understand the conditions and locations in which they can occur. This is an important step towards clarifying the association of methane on Mars with the possible existence of life", explains Pedro Machado (IA and Ciencias ULisboa), co-author of this study.

Another unknown on the red planet, also of great interest to the scientific field of the search for life outside Earth, astrobiology, is the fate of most of its water. Evidence suggests that this once flowed in abundance on the planet, and that much of the northern hemisphere was once a vast ocean. Today, Mars is an icy desert.

"Knowing the ratio between two variants of hydrogen, the deuterium isotope and simple hydrogen, helps us understand the temporal evolution of water on Mars. Deuterium is a heavy hydrogen atom, its nucleus contains one more neutron, so water, H2O, made up of a deuterium atom and a hydrogen atom, HDO, is heavier and will escape into space with more difficulty. Comparison of this ratio at a global and local level on Mars, possible with this study, gives us valuable information about the fate of Martian water", explains Joao Dias (IA and Ciencias ULisboa), lead author of this study.

Also included in this study, phosphine can be spontaneously produced in high pressure and temperature environments in the presence of phosphorus and hydrogen, the two chemical elements that constitute it. "This is what happens on Jupiter, with phosphine being one of those responsible for the colorful bands in the atmosphere of this gas giant", explains Pedro Machado, "but on a rocky planet, like Earth, where these extreme conditions do not exist, its presence is associated with biological activity".

So, when in 2020 a study identified phosphine in the clouds of Venus, the scientific community turned its attention to this planet. "Further studies carried out under other conditions showed that phosphine may not be present after all or be present in much smaller amounts than initially identified, something that we were also able to reproduce", adds Pedro Machado.

Still on Venus, "sulfur dioxide is very important for us to know if there is volcanic activity. By precisely determining the abundance of this compound at different altitudes, as we have shown to be possible with PSG, we will be able to conclude about its origin", adds Joao Dias.

"This work is of great importance for space missions that are now being developed, such as EnVision, Ariel, and Mars Express, from the European Space Agency (ESA), in which IA is involved, by telling us the expected values for these chemical components and allowing the instruments that are being designed for these missions to be optimized to detect within the range of expected values", highlights Pedro Machado, who is a co-investigator of these missions.

"In particular, missions like Ariel, which will study the atmospheres of planets orbiting stars other than the Sun, exoplanets, benefit greatly from this type of Solar System studies, which can serve as a model for what we hope to be able to come to life. observe outside the Solar System", adds Joao Dias.

"This demonstration of the effectiveness of PSG is very important for the scientific community, and the IA is at the forefront of these studies by including in its Planetary Systems team specialists both in the study of the atmospheres of planets in the Solar System and in the detection and characterization of exoplanets", highlights Pedro Machado.

Research Report: "From Atmospheric Evolution to the Search of Species of Astrobiological Interest in the Solar System-Case Studies Using the Planetary Spectrum Generator"


Related Links
Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon
Lands Beyond Beyond - extra solar planets - news and science
Life Beyond Earth


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


EXO WORLDS
Could a refined space weather model help scientists find life elsewhere
Huntsville AL (SPX) Mar 31, 2022
A refinement to a space weather model developed by a center director at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) could help scientists check out which planets outside our solar system are likely to have someone home. Exoplanets are what planets are called when they orbit stars outside our own solar system, and the effort to winnow out those that could harbor life has been intensifying. Now at the Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) at UAH, a part of the University of ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

EXO WORLDS
UCF part of historic civilian space flight to ISS

Space tourism: the arguments in favor

Arctic simulation of Moon-like habitat shows wellbeing sessions keep you sane

Brazilian Space Chief Says Nations Should Think Long-Term, Keep Space Out of Geopolitics

EXO WORLDS
ISRO likely to launch seven satellites during current year: Govt

NASA working around valve issue to complete testing of Artemis

First all-private mission docks with ISS

Arianespace wins new contract to launch Sentinel-1C observation satellite on board Vega-C

EXO WORLDS
NASA's Pioneering Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Awarded Collier Trophy

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover reroutes away from 'Gator-Back' rocks

Citizen scientists help map ridge networks on Mars

Sol 3436: Motion Accomplished

EXO WORLDS
Tianzhou 2 re-enters Earth's atmosphere, mostly burns up

Shenzhou XIII astronauts prep for return

China's Tianzhou-2 cargo craft leaves space station core module

China's space station to support large-scale scientific research

EXO WORLDS
US, Russia Should Cooperate on Leveraging Private Investment for Space Programs - Expert

The race to dominate satellite internet heats up

HawkEye 360 launches next-generation Cluster 4 satellites

Kleos launches Patrol Mission satellites

EXO WORLDS
L3Harris awarded $117M space object-tracking modernization contract

3D-printed bone

Lockheed Martin releases open-source interface standard for on-orbit docking

New cutting-edge thermoplastic materials for the aerospace sector

EXO WORLDS
Hubble probes extreme weather on ultra-hot Jovian exoplanets

Kepler telescope delivers new planetary discovery from the grave

NASA simulator helps to shed light on mysteries of Solar System

A Beacon in the Galaxy: Updated Arecibo Message for Potential FAST and SETI Projects

EXO WORLDS
A closer look at Jupiter's origin story

17-year Neptune study reveals surprising temperature changes

SwRI scientists connect the dots between Galilean moon, auroral emissions on Jupiter

Juice's journey and Jupiter system tour









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.