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Register a new userLaboratory Studies for Planetary Sciences. A Planetary Decadal Survey White Paper Prepared by the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Working Group on Laboratory Astrophysics (WGLA)
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The WGLA of the AAS (http://www.aas.org/labastro/) promotes collaboration and exchange of knowledge between astronomy and planetary sciences and the laboratory sciences (physics, chemistry, and biology). Laboratory data needs of ongoing and next generation planetary science missions are carefully evaluated and recommended in this white paper submitted by the WGLA to Planetary Decadal Survey.
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Whether it is fluorescence emission from asteroids and moons, solar wind charge exchange from comets, exospheric escape from Mars, pion reactions on Venus, sprite lighting on Saturn, or the Io plasma torus in the Jovian magnetosphere, the Solar System is surprisingly rich and diverse in X-ray emitting objects. The compositions of diverse planetary bodies are of fundamental interest to planetary science, providing clues to the formation and evolutionary history of the target bodies and the solar system as a whole. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) lines, triggered either by solar X-rays or energetic ions, are intrinsic to atomic energy levels and carry an unambiguous signature of the elemental composition of the emitting bodies. All remote-sensing XRF spectrometers used so far on planetary orbiters have been collimated instruments, with limited achievable spatial resolution, and many have used archaic X-ray detectors with poor energy resolution. Focusing X-ray optics provide true spectroscopic imaging and are used widely in astrophysics missions, but until now their mass and volume have been too large for resource-limited in-situ planetary missions. Recent advances in X-ray instrumentation such as the Micro-Pore Optics used on the BepiColombo X-ray instrument (Fraser et al., 2010), Miniature X-ray Optics (Hong et al., 2016) and highly radiation tolerant CMOS X-ray sensors (e.g., Kenter et al., 2012) enable compact, yet powerful, truly focusing X-ray Imaging Spectrometers. Such instruments will enable compositional measurements of planetary bodies with much better spatial resolution and thus open a large new discovery space in planetary science, greatly enhancing our understanding of the nature and origin of diverse planetary bodies. Here, we discuss many examples of the power of XRF to address key science questions across the solar system.
Laboratory studies for planetary science and astrobiology aimat advancing our understanding of the Solar System through the promotion of theoretical and experimental research into the underlying processes that shape it. Laboratory studies (experimental and theoretical) are crucial to interpret observations and mission data, and are key incubators for new mission concepts as well as instrument development and calibration. They also play a vital role in determining habitability of Solar System bodies, enhancing our understanding of the origin of life, and in the search for signs of life beyond Earth, all critical elements of astrobiology. Here we present an overview of the planetary science areas where laboratory studies are critically needed, in particular in the next decade. These areas include planetary & satellites atmospheres, surfaces, and interiors, primitive bodies such as asteroids, meteorites, comets, and trans-Neptunian objects, and signs of life. Generating targeted experimental and theoretical laboratory data that are relevant for a better understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological processes occurring in these environments is crucial. For each area we present i) a brief overview of the state-of-the-art laboratory work, ii) the challenges to analyze and interpret data sets from missions and ground-based observations and to support mission and concept development, and iii) recommendations for high priority laboratory studies.
The recently adopted Ariel ESA mission will measure the atmospheric composition of a large number of exoplanets. This information will then be used to better constrain planetary bulk compositions. While the connection between the composition of a planetary atmosphere and the bulk interior is still being investigated, the combination of the atmospheric composition with the measured mass and radius of exoplanets will push the field of exoplanet characterisation to the next level, and provide new insights of the nature of planets in our galaxy. In this white paper, we outline the ongoing activities of the interior working group of the {it Ariel} mission, and list the desirable theoretical developments as well as the challenges in linking planetary atmospheres, bulk composition and interior structure.
We present a summary of current research on planetary nebulae and their central stars, and related subjects such as atomic processes in ionized nebulae, AGB and post-AGB evolution. Future advances are discussed that will be essential to substantial improvements in our knowledge in the field.
Habitability has been generally defined as the capability of an environment to support life. Ecologists have been using Habitat Suitability Models (HSMs) for more than four decades to study the habitability of Earth from local to global scales. Astrobiologists have been proposing different habitability models for some time, with little integration and consistency between them and different in function to those used by ecologists. In this white paper, we suggest a mass-energy habitability model as an example of how to adapt and expand the models used by ecologists to the astrobiology field. We propose to implement these models into a NASA Habitability Standard (NHS) to standardize the habitability objectives of planetary missions. These standards will help to compare and characterize potentially habitable environments, prioritize target selections, and study correlations between habitability and biosignatures. Habitability models are the foundation of planetary habitability science. The synergy between the methods used by ecologists and astrobiologists will help to integrate and expand our understanding of the habitability of Earth, the Solar System, and exoplanets.
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