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The surface temperature of Europa

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arxiv 1608.07372 v6 pith:HEUQJFN2 submitted 2016-08-26 astro-ph.EP

classification astro-ph.EP
keywords europasurfaceeffectheatinginternaljupitertemperaturemean
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abstract

Previous estimates of the annual mean surface temperature of Jupiter's moon, Europa, neglected the effect of the eccentricity of Jupiter's orbit around the Sun, the effect of the emissivity and heat capacity of Europa's ice, the effect of the eclipse of Europa (i.e., the relative time that Europa is within the shadow of Jupiter), the effect of Jupiter's radiation, and the effect of Europa's internal heating. Other studies concentrated on the diurnal cycle but neglected some of the above factors. In addition, to our knowledge, the seasonal cycle of the surface temperature of Europa was not estimated. Here we systematically estimate the diurnal, seasonal and annual mean surface temperature of Europa, when Europa's obliquity, emissivity, heat capacity, and eclipse, as well as Jupiter's radiation, internal heating, and eccentricity, are all taken into account. For a typical internal heating rate of 0.05 W m$^{-2}$, the equator, pole, and the global and mean annual mean surface temperatures are 96K, 46K, and 90K, respectively. We found that the temperature at the high latitudes is significantly affected by the internal heating, especially during the winter solstice, suggesting that measurements of high latitude surface temperatures can be used to constrain the internal heating. We also estimate the incoming solar radiation to Enceladus, the moon of Saturn.

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Cited by 2 Pith papers

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  1. A Validated Low-to-Intermediate Mass Planetary Interior Structure Model and New Mass-Radius Relations

    astro-ph.EP 2026-04 unverdicted novelty 6.5 of 10

    A validated interior model with advanced physics produces updated mass-radius relations for low-to-intermediate mass planets that differ from prior relations especially at high and low stellar irradiation.

  2. Life after death: Europa in the evolving Habitable Zone of a Red Sun

    astro-ph.EP 2025-05 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    Europa's surface would sublimate asymmetrically in the red giant habitable zone, yet a water-vapor atmosphere could persist for at least 0.2 Gyr, and three observing strategies could reveal it.

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