I-Europa, enye yeesathelayithi ezinkulu zeJupiter inomkhenkce ongqindilili wamanzi kunye nolwandle olukhulu lwamanzi anetyuwa angaphantsi komkhenkce ongaphantsi komkhenkce kungoko icebise ukuba yenye yezona ndawo zithembisayo kwisixokelelwano selanga ukubamba uhlobo oluthile lobomi ngaphaya koMhlaba. Uphononongo lwakutsha nje olusekwe kuqwalaselo oluthe ngqo nguJuno mission ukuya kuJupiter lubonakalise ukuba ukuveliswa kweoksijini kumphezulu we-Europa kuphantsi kakhulu. Oku kusenokuthetha ukunciphisa kakhulu ukuhanjiswa kweoksijini ukusuka kumkhenkce oneoksijini ukuya kulwandle olumanzi olungaphantsi komphezulu kunye noluhlu olumxinwa lokuxhasa ubomi kuLwandlekazi lwase-Europa. Imishini ezayo ye-Europa Clipper kulindeleke ukuba ikhanyise ngakumbi ekufumaneni uhlobo oluthile lwempilo kulwandlekazi lwe-Europa. Nakuphi na okufunyaniswayo kwixa elizayo kobomi bamandulo bentsholongwane kulwandlekazi lwase-Europa kuya kuthi, okokuqala, kubonise ukuvela okuzimeleyo kobomi kwiindawo ezimbini ezahlukeneyo kulwandlekazi. yonke.
I-Physics kunye ne-chemistry ziqondwa ngendlela efanayo kuyo yonke indawo, kodwa ibhayoloji ayinakho. Emhlabeni, ubomi busekelwe kwikhabhoni kwaye bufuna amanzi alulwelo njengesinyibilikisi sebloko zokwakha ubomi (kuquka ikhabhoni, ihydrogen, initrogen, ioksijini, iphosphorus, nesalfure), kunye nomthombo wamandla. Uninzi lwamandla avela eLangeni emva kokubanjiswa zizityalo ngephotosynthesis kwaye enziwa afumaneke ngokuphefumla kukho ioksijini. Ezinye izinto eziphilayo emhlabeni ezifana ne-archaea, nangona kunjalo, zinokusebenzisa enye imithombo yamandla. Kwaye ubomi bufuna ixesha lokuvela kunye nokuvela.
Ngenxa yolu lwazi lubanzi lobomi (njengenkqubo efuna amanzi angamalwelo, imichiza ethile, imithombo yamandla kunye nexesha), ukukhangela ubomi obungaphaya koMhlaba ngaphakathi nangaphandle kwenkqubo yelanga kubandakanya ukuchonga. maplanethi/isathelayithi zendalo ezinamanzi amaninzi alulwelo, njengenyathelo lokuqala.
I-Europa, enye yezona satellite zikhulu zendalo zeJupiter, inomhlaba ongqindilili womkhenkce wamanzi, umoya obhityileyo owenziwe ikakhulu yioksijini kunye nolwandle olukhulu lwamanzi anetyuwa angaphantsi komhlaba ongaphantsi komkhenkce obambe amanzi aphindwe kabini kunakulwandle loMhlaba. Ulwandlekazi lwase-Europa lunokuba neekhemikhali eziyimfuneko/iibhloko zokwakha ezisisiseko zobomi. Ifotosynthesis ayinakwenzeka kulwandlekazi lwase-Europa njengoko lugutyungelwe ngumaleko womkhenkce oshinyeneyo kodwa ke ukusabela kweekhemikhali kwaziwa ngamandla obomi bamandulo. Ngenxa yokuba i-Europa nayo iphantse yandala njengoMhlaba, kucetyiswa ukuba ubomi bamandulo busenokuba buphuhliswe kulwandlekazi lwase-Europa.
Ubomi abunakwenzeka kumphezulu we-Europa ngenxa yokuvezwa ngokuqhubekayo kwimitha enzima evela kwiJupiter nakwindawo yangaphandle. Kodwa amasuntswana ahlawuliweyo kwimitha yokukhanya aphula i-H2Iimolekyuli ezikumkhenkce ongaphezulu ukuvelisa iH2 kunye no-O2 (ubukho beoksijini kwi-atmosfera ye-Europa buqinisekiswe yimigca yokukhupha ngaphambili). Ngaloo ndlela ioksijini eveliswayo kunye nokuthunyelwa kwayo emva koko kumphezulu wolwandle kuya kuba yimfuneko ebomini, ukuba ikho. Ubukho bobomi kulwandlekazi lwe-Europa buxhomekeke kubungakanani bemveliso yeoksijini kumphezulu we-Europa kunye nokusasazwa kweoksijini kumhlaba ongaphantsi kolwandle ukuxhasa ukuphefumla kweentlobo zobomi ezikulo.
Uphononongo lwakutsha nje olusekwe kuqwalaselo lokuqala oluthe ngqo olwenziwa yiJADE kuvavanyo lweJuno mission ukuya kuJupiter luqinisekise i-hydrogen kunye neoksijini njengeyona nto iphambili kumoya we-Europa. Abaphandi baye bafumanisa inani lemveliso ye-oksijini kumphezulu we-Europa malunga ne-12 ± 6 kg ngesibini malunga nesinye seshumi somlinganiselo oboniswe kwizifundo zangaphambili. Oku kusenokuthetha ukunciphisa kakhulu ukuhanjiswa kweoksijini ukusuka kumkhenkce oneoksijini ukuya kulwandle olumanzi olungaphantsi komphezulu kunye noluhlu olumxinwa lokuxhasa ubomi kuLwandlekazi lwase-Europa.
I-Europa Clipper mission ecwangciselwe ukusungulwa ngo-Okthobha wama-2024 kwaye iqalise ukusebenza ngo-2030 iya kukhanyisa ngakumbi ubukho bendlela ethile yokuphila kulwandlekazi lwase-Europa.
Nangona kunokwenzeka kakhulu, akukho bungqina bayo nayiphi na ubomi ngaphaya koMhlaba ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. Nakuphi na okufunyaniswe kwixa elizayo kobomi bamandulo bentsholongwane kulwandlekazi lwe-Europa kuya kuthi, okokuqala, kubonise ukuvela okuzimeleyo kobomi kwiindawo ezimbini ezinikwe iimfuno eziyimfuneko.
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Iingxelo:
- Szalay, JR, Allegrini, F., Ebert, RW et al. Imveliso yeoksijini ukusuka ekuqhekekeni komphezulu womkhenkce wamanzi e-Europa. UNat Astron (2024). Ipapashwe nge-04 Matshi 2024.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-024-02206-x
- I-NASA 2024. Iindaba – I-Juno Mission ye-NASA ilinganisa iMveliso ye-Oxygen e-Europa. 04 Matshi 2024. Iyafumaneka e https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-juno-mission-measures-oxygen-production-at-europa/
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