Scientists suggest that Saturn’s moon Enceladus contains all the ingredients for life – gigazines

by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

It is Saturn’s moonEnceladusSo what is important for life?water、Organic compounds、hydrogenThe existence of such things has been discovered, and it is considered a promising star that may harbor extraterrestrial life. A new study suggests that Enceladus may have a suitable environment for life.

Observations of the elemental composition of Enceladus consistent with generalized models of theoretical ecosystems com.bioRxiv
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.29.564608v1.full

Enceladus has all the raw materials needed for life – today’s universe
https://www.universetoday.com/164050/enceladus-has-all-the-raw-materials-for-life/

Enceladus: Revealing the potential for life in Saturn’s ocean moon
https://ts2.space/en/enceladus-uncovering-the-potential-for-life-in-saturns-ocean-moon/

Most of what we know about Enceladus so far has come from the Saturn probe Cassini, which was launched in 1997. Cassini entered Saturn’s atmosphere in 2017 and completed its mission, but scientists are still busy analyzing the massive amount of data Cassini left behind.

In a study published on the preprint server bioRxiv on October 29, 2023, Daniel Molator from the Santa Fe Institute in the United States and his colleagues revealed the proportion of chemicals and elements present in Enceladus and the possibility of their presence in Enceladus. Metabolism of substances by a particular life form.

by Thomas Thomopoulos

This study focuses on the discovery of ammonia and inorganic phosphorus in Enceladus’s oceans. Cassini data analysis of observations of geysers gushing from Enceladus’ ice shows that the ocean beneath the ice contains high levels of inorganic phosphate. “This report on the presence of phosphorus follows previous work that identified carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, the primary components of many life forms on Earth, in Enceladus’s ejecta,” the researchers said. In addition, subsequent research found many chemicals common in living organisms, such as amino acid precursors, ammonium, and hydrocarbons, in Enceladus’s vicinity.

Additional analysis by Muratore et al. shows that the proportions of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in Earth’s oceans are…Redfield ratioUsing this as a guide, we discovered the possibility of life in the vicinity of Enceladus.

Redfield ratio is a term named after American oceanographer Alfred Redfield. Redfield published in 1934 that the carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus ratio in total marine biomass was a constant 106:16:1. Later research revealed that this ratio varies slightly depending on the region and phytoplankton, and that the exact ratio is 166:22:1.

The important point here is that the Redfield ratio of elements is universal and can be applied to all living organisms on Earth, so it is also an important indicator in the search for extraterrestrial life. “Because of this universality, the Redfield ratio is a targetable marker for detecting astrobiological life, especially on oceanic worlds like Europa and Enceladus,” Muratore et al. explain.

by blueforce4116

Using the Redfield ratio, Muratori et al.Methanogenic archaeaWe developed a model to see if it could be reproduced on Enceladus, and verified it by applying it to Cassini data. They found that Enceladus’s oceans contain high concentrations of phosphorus, and that the total percentage may be limited to life-like cells on Earth.

Based on the results of this study, which show the presence of ammonia and phosphorus in Enceladus’ oceans, and that their proportions match the Redfield ratio in Earth’s oceans, researchers believe that the Redfield ratio could support life on celestial bodies such as Enceladus and Europa. He highlighted the importance of the signs to look for and the need for more research to fully understand the chemical composition of these objects.