CHEMICAL SCHEMES FOR SURFACE MODIFICATION OF ICY SATELLITES - A ROAD MAP

The icy Galilean satellites of Jupiter are subject to magnetospheric p lasma ion bombardment, which induces chemical changes within the ice. The possible detection of CO2 on the surface of Ganymede by the Galile o spacecraft makes for a more complicated chemistry and increases the number of chemical compounds that may then be present. We outline chem ical schemes for the irradiation of pure and mixed ices H2O/CO2 and su ggest species which observers may detect on Europa, Ganymede, and Call isto, such as C3O2, H2CO3, H2O2, CO3, HO2, CO, H2CO, CH2CO, as well as K2O, KOH, and SO3, from plasma implantation. Column abundances of com pounds in the ice are calculated using a specified energy input and G values (yield per 100 eV).