Hydrothermal experiments and chemical evolution model for icy bodies in the Solar system: Implications for formation of the Solar system and habitability

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26707024
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Solid earth and planetary physics
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Sekine Yasuhito 東京大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (60431897)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 氷天体 / 化学進化 / 熱水環境 / 原始太陽系円盤

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study aims at understanding water environments (redox, pH, temperature) and habitability within interior oceans of geologically-active icy bodies in the Solar system, based on laboratory experiments and spacecraft observations. We have constrained chemical conditions and rock compositions of hydrothermal environments within Enceladus. We further suggest the occurence of large-scale planetary migrations at the early stage of the Solar system from the interpretations of surface materials on Ceres and Pluto.

Free Research Field

惑星科学