| Full text | |
| Author(s): |
Altair, Thiago
[1, 2]
;
de Avellar, Marcio G. B.
[3]
;
Rodrigues, Fabio
[4]
;
Galante, Douglas
[1, 2]
Total Authors: 4
|
| Affiliation: | [1] Brazilian Ctr Res Energy & Mat CNPEM, Brazilian Synchrotron Light Lab LNLS, Ave Giuseppe Maximo Scolfaro, 10000, BR-13083100 Campinas, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Programa Posgrad Fis Biomol, Inst Fis Sao Carlos, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil
[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Astron Geofis & Ciencias Atmosfer, Rua Matao, 1226, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Quim, Fundamental Inst Quim, Ave Prof Lineu Prestes, 748, BR-05508000 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 4
|
| Document type: | Journal article |
| Source: | SCIENTIFIC REPORTS; v. 8, JAN 10 2018. |
| Web of Science Citations: | 2 |
| Abstract | |
There is an increasing interest in the icy moons of the Solar System due to their potential habitability and as targets for future exploratory missions, which include astrobiological goals. Several studies have reported new results describing the details of these moons' geological settings; however, there is still a lack of information regarding the deep subsurface environment of the moons. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the microbial habitability of Europa constrained by terrestrial analogue environments and sustained by radioactive energy provided by natural unstable isotopes. The geological scenarios are based on known deep environments on Earth, and the bacterial ecosystem is based on a sulfate-reducing bacterial ecosystem found 2.8 km below the surface in a basin in South Africa. The results show the possibility of maintaining the modeled ecosystem based on the proposed scenarios and provides directions for future models and exploration missions for a more complete evaluation of the habitability of Europa and of icy moons in general. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 16/06114-6 - The Neoproterozoic Earth System and the rise of biological complexity |
| Grantee: | Ricardo Ivan Ferreira da Trindade |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Projects - Thematic Grants |
| FAPESP's process: | 13/26258-4 - Superdense matter in the universe |
| Grantee: | Manuel Máximo Bastos Malheiro de Oliveira |
| Support Opportunities: | Research Projects - Thematic Grants |
| FAPESP's process: | 11/23996-9 - Compact stars in binaries: investigating the composition of superdense matter |
| Grantee: | Marcio Guilherme Bronzato de Avellar |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral |