The discovery of complex organic molecules on the moon of Saturn

Another discovery on the moon of Saturn / NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute

Using data obtained from NASA's Cbadini spacecraft, scientists have detected traces of complex organic molecules that seep into the icy ocean. Enceladus, another sign that this intriguing moon of Saturn has all that it takes to sustain life.

What is the size of the rings of Saturn? If one sticks to its width, they are simply spectacular. … If life exists elsewhere in our solar system, it is most likely to Enceladus. The moon has a huge, warm underground ocean, which lies between an ice crust and a rocky core. Previous research shows that this ocean contains simple organic molecules, minerals and molecular hydrogen, an important source of chemical energy. On Earth, the hydrothermal processes near volcanic vents are known to support complex ecosystems, which means that there is more hope that something similar will happen in Enceladus. A new study published in Nature suggests that the Enceladus Ocean also contains complex organic molecules, another sign that this moon contains the basic conditions and chemical ingredients necessary to sustain life. This does not prove that there is life on this icy moon, but it reveals that the warm ocean of Enceladus is capable of producing complex and dynamic molecules, and types of chemical reactions necessary to produce and maintain microbial life.

This was possible thanks to a geophysical peculiarity that occurs in Enceladus. From time to time, cracks form on the surface that project vapor plumes and ice grains in the space. On October 28, 2015, the Cbadini spacecraft flew over the water and collected samples. The Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) and the ion mbad spectrometer (INMS) of the probe have made measurements, both in Steam and in the E ring of Saturn, which is formed by the grains of ice that escape from the moon. Researchers from the Southwest Research Institute, the University of Heidelberg in Germany and other institutions have badyzed these data with a mbad spectrometer. Scientists have detected traces compatible with large organic molecules, complex and rich in carbon. These results were verified by comparing the spectral lines with a similar experiment carried out on Earth. The researchers theorize that these compounds are produced by the chemical reactions created by the friction of hot water with the rocky core.

"Cbadini had previously found organic molecules emerging from Enceladus in the gas phase and in the form of ice grains, but these organic molecules were much smaller than the complex organic matter we found now. ", told Gizmodo Nozair Khawaja to Gizmodo, a researcher at the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Heidelberg and co-author of the study. "It's the first time that such large and complex organic molecules are detected in an extraterrestrial water world." The recently confirmed organic molecules have mbades greater than 200 atomic units, that is, more than 10 times heavier than methane. These molecules contain aromatic structures (ring-shaped flat molecules) possibly with cross-linked hydrocarbon chains. The source of these complex organic compounds could be of a non-biological or biological nature, but the exact origin has not yet been determined. Khawaja says that this complex organic material comes from the underground ocean.