Simulating Ice Worlds in the Lab

Simulating Ice Worlds in the Lab
By Carolyn Collins Petersen (https://ift.tt/ekj6agG)

Many objects in the outer Solar System contain large amounts of water ice, leading to a thick icy shell surrounding an ocean of liquid water. This water behaves like lava on Earth, reshaping their surfaces through a process called cryovolcanism. To better understand this process, researchers have created a low-pressure chamber that simulates the near-vacuum conditions on the surfaces of worlds like Europa and Enceladus. They could watch water create features we see across the Solar System.

August 5, 2025 at 12:05AM
via read more...