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Comparison and Interpretation of Spectral Characteristics of the Leading and Trailing Hemispheres of Europa and Callisto

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Abstract

Europa and Callisto are two “extreme members” in a sequence of the Galilean ice satellites formed at different distances from Jupiter. The difference in their mean density probably reflects the material density gradient that appeared even in the subplanetary disk of Jupiter. At the same time, general peculiarities in the composition of the surfaces of Europa and Callisto apparently characterize the accumulated effect of all subsequent evolutionary processes, including current volcanic activity on the satellite Io and its ionized material transfer in Jovian magnetosphere, as well as chemical reactions taking place under low-temperature (within ~90–130 K) and irradiation conditions. In 2016–2017, we observed the leading and trailing hemispheres of Europa and Callisto in the spectral range of 1.0–2.5 μm at 2-m telescope of Caucasian Mountain Observatory (CMO) of Sternberg Astronomical Institute (SAI) of Moscow State University (MSU). We found that, on a global scale, Europa and Callisto exhibit similar spectral characteristics and, particularly, the maxima in the distributions of sulfuric acid hydrate in the trailing hemispheres of the both moons, which agrees with the data of previous measurements. This can be considered as evidence for general ion implantation on these and other moons in the radiation belts of Jupiter. Moreover, our spectral data suggest that water ice and hydrates (clathrates) of other compounds are dominant or abundant in the leading hemispheres of Europa and Callisto. Specifically, we detected a weak absorption band of CH4 clathrate centered at ~1.67 μm in the reflectance spectra of the leading (the band is more intense) and trailing (the band is less intense) hemispheres of Europa. Weak signs of the same absorption band are also in the reflectance spectra of Callisto measured at its different orientations.

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  1. Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Lomonosov Moscow State University, (SAI MSU), Moscow, 119992, Russia

    V. V. Busarev, A. M. Tatarnikov & M. A. Burlak

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  1. V. V. Busarev
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Original Russian Text © V.V. Busarev, A.M. Tatarnikov, M.A. Burlak, 2018, published in Astronomicheskii Vestnik, 2018, Vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 305–315.

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Busarev, V.V., Tatarnikov, A.M. & Burlak, M.A. Comparison and Interpretation of Spectral Characteristics of the Leading and Trailing Hemispheres of Europa and Callisto. Sol Syst Res 52, 301–311 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0038094618030036

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