LPL Colloquium: No Ocean for Enceladus Plumes

When

3:30 p.m., Nov. 25, 2008

Where

Dr. Nick Schneider (University of Colorado) is the scheduled speaker.

Abstract:

We undertook an observational test of the hypothesis that Enceladus plumes are driven by a deep, potentially habitable ocean. Such an ocean, with liquid water in long-term contact with a rocky core, is expected to be salty. We therefore performed Keck and AAT searches for sodium in plume material, both near Enceladus and in the E-ring. The plumes eject ~150kg/sec of water vapor and