Greifswald 2024 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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EP: Fachverband Extraterrestrische Physik
EP 2: Planets in their Environment
EP 2.6: Vortrag
Dienstag, 27. Februar 2024, 16:00–16:15, ELP 1: HS 1.22
Permittivity sensor to investigate the ice crust of the Jovian moon Europa — •Fabian Becker, Enrico Ellinger, and Klaus Helbing — Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Wuppertal, Deutschland
The icy moons in our solar system are attracting increased interest for the next space missions. This is due to the large deposits of liquid water, which are located under an ice crust and could be a possible habitat for extraterrestrial life. After the phase of satellite missions, which explore moons such as Europa, Ganymed, Callisto or Enceladus from orbit, it would be the next step to develop missions for landing and exploring the ice crust and the big oceans.
Our concept to look inside the crust or travel through the big ice layer to the liquid water is using melting probes. For these probes, a sensor system was developed to measure the permittivity εr of the surrounding ice. The primary goal is to correct radar data to plan the trajectory of the melting probe, where the radar antennas are integrated inside the melting head. Furthermore, it could bring first insights into the structure and composition of the moon’s crust.
The concept is based on reflection measurements at an open coaxial output. The entire measuring system is integrated into a compartment of the melting probe, which is pressure-neutral. This has already been fully assembled in the project TRIPLE-FRS. The first tests were done in terrestrial cryospheres such as alpine glaciers.
Keywords: Icy moons; Europa; Permittivity