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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2015

DETECTING AND CONSTRAINING N{sub 2} ABUNDANCES IN PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES USING COLLISIONAL PAIRS

Characterizing the bulk atmosphere of a terrestrial planet is important for determining surface pressure and potential habitability. Molecular nitrogen (N{sub 2}) constitutes the largest fraction of Earth's atmosphere and is likely to be a major constituent of many terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres. Due to its lack of significant absorption features, N{sub 2} is extremely difficult to remotely detect. However, N{sub 2} produces an N{sub 2}–N{sub 2} collisional pair, (N{sub 2}){sub 2}, which is spectrally active. Here we report the detection of (N{sub 2}){sub 2} in Earth's disk-integrated spectrum. By comparing spectra from NASA's EPOXI mission to synthetic spectra from the NASA Astrobiology Institute's Virtual Planetary Laboratory three-dimensional spectral Earth model, we find that (N{sub 2}){sub 2} absorption produces a ∼35% decrease in flux at 4.15 μm. Quantifying N{sub 2} could provide a means of determining bulk atmospheric composition for terrestrial exoplanets and could rule out abiotic O{sub 2} generation, which is possible in rarefied atmospheres. To explore the potential effects of (N{sub 2}){sub 2} in exoplanet spectra, we used radiative transfer models to generate synthetic emission and transit transmission spectra of self-consistent N{sub 2}–CO{sub 2}–H{sub 2}O atmospheres, and analytic N{sub 2}–H{sub 2} and N{sub 2}–H{sub 2}–CO{sub 2} atmospheres. We show that (N{sub 2}){sub 2} absorption in the wings of the 4.3 μm CO{sub 2} band is strongly dependent on N{sub 2} partial pressures above 0.5 bar and can significantly widen this band in thick N{sub 2} atmospheres. The (N{sub 2}){sub 2} transit transmission signal is up to 10 ppm for an Earth-size planet with an N{sub 2}-dominated atmosphere orbiting within the habitable zone of an M5V star and could be substantially larger for planets with significant H{sub 2} mixing ratios.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2006

Characteristics of the Extended Burst Tails from SGR 1806-20 During the 2004 Active Episode

In 2004, SGR 1806-20 underwent an episode of extreme activities, exhibiting thousands of recurrent bursts and finally the 27 December giant flare, which was the most energetic extra-solar event ever detected near Earth. During this active episode, we routinely monitored the source with Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and occasionally with Chandra. We identified two relatively strong event that were followed by extended (few hundreds-thousands seconds long) tail emission. Here, we present detailed spectral investigations of these two strong SGR 1806-20 events with extended tail observed about 6 and 1.5 months prior to the 27 December 2004 giant flare. We find that both extended burst tail spectra exhibit thermal behavior. Similar thermal spectral trend was also seen in two SGR 1900+14 bursts with extended tails, therefore, it may be a general characteristic of extended SGR events.

Gogus, Ersin↗
DOE OSTI2022

Status of the SABRE South experiment at the Stawell underground physics laboratory

The SABRE (Sodium iodide with Active Background REjection) experiments aim to detect an annual rate modulation from dark matter interactions in ultra-high purity NaI(Tl) crystals. The SABRE South experiment is located at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (SUPL), Australia, and is the first deep underground laboratory in the Southern Hemisphere. SABRE South is designed to disentangle seasonal or site-related effects from the dark matter-like modulated signal first observed by DAMA/LIBRA in the Northern Hemisphere using an active veto and muon detection system. It is a partner to the SABRE North effort at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS). SABRE South is instrumented with ultra-high purity NaI(Tl) crystals immersed in a linear alkyl benzene (LAB) based liquid scintillator veto, further surrounded by passive steel and polyethylene shielding and a plastic scintillator muon veto. Significant work has been undertaken to understand the experimental backgrounds and performance of the crystals. The SABRE South experiment is under construction, and will be commissioned from late 2022 to early 2023. We will present the final design of SABRE South, the status of its construction, its expected background, and its sensitivity to a DAMA/LIBRA like modulation. We will also present recent quenching factor measurements of sodium nuclear recoils in NaI(Tl) crystals measured at the Heavy Ion Accelerator Facility, and a report on the status of SUPL.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Crack Detection in High-Velocity Oxygen-Fuel-Sprayed Al{sub 59.2}Cu{sub 25.5}Fe{sub 12.3}B{sub 3} Quasicrystalline Coatings Using Piezoelectric Active Sensors

Quasicrystals have received some attention in recent years regarding their potential usefulness as low friction and wear resistant materials. When quasicrystalline (QC) coatings are exposed to different levels of external loading or are subjected to thermal stresses, crack nucleation, and propagation become life-limiting factors. In this investigation, Al{sub 59.2}Cu{sub 25.5}Fe{sub 12.3}B{sub 3} QC coatings were deposited onto AISI-A36 steel substrates using the high-velocity oxygen-fuel (HVOF) technique. The coatings were deposited at different oxygen-to-fuel ratios. To characterize the integrity of the coatings, the active piezoceramic excitation technique was applied to detect the propagation of cracks during three-point bending tests. The piezoelectric transducer signal was processed using wavelet transformation analysis. The results revealed that the coated samples displayed different densities of cracks depending on the oxygen-to-fuel. The crack density was found higher for coatings formed using a slightly oxidizing flame. The opening of the pre-existing cracks in the coating was the main reason of signal attenuation during piezoelectric excitation. The HVOF-sprayed AlCuFeB quasicrystalline coating, with thickness between 150 and 180 μm, withstands a flexural stress as high as 340 MPa. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first that provides a quantitative assessment of the viability of QC coatings in mechanical applications in spite of their intrinsic brittleness.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

POLARIZED EXTENDED Ly{alpha} EMISSION FROM A z = 2.3 RADIO GALAXY

We present spatially resolved spectropolarimetric measurements of the 100 kpc scale gaseous environment of the z = 2.34 radio galaxy TXS 0211-122. The polarization level of the narrow Ly{alpha} emission is low centrally (P < 5%), but rises to P = 16.4% {+-} 4.6% in the eastern part of the nebula, indicating that the nebula is at least partly powered by the scattering of Ly{alpha} photons by H I. Not only is this the first detection of polarized Ly{alpha} around a radio-loud active galaxy, it is also the second detection to date for any kind of Ly{alpha} nebula. We also detect a pair of diametrically opposed UV continuum sources along the slit, at the outer edges of the Ly{alpha} nebula, which we suggest may be the limb of a dusty shell, related to the large-scale H I absorbers often associated with high-z radio galaxies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1990

Characterization of the corrosion resistance of several alloys to dilute biologically active solutions

Sulfate reducing bacteria and acid producing bacteria/fungi detected in hygiene waters increased the corrosion rate in aluminum alloy. Biologically active media enhanced the formation of pits on metal coupons. Direct observation of gas evolved at the corrosion sample, coupled with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive x-ray analysis of the corrosion products indicates that the corrosion rate is increased because the presence of bacteria favor the reduction of hydrogen as the cathodic reaction through the reaction of oxygen and water. SEM verifies the presence of microbes in a biofilm on the surface of corroding samples. The bacterial consortia are associated with anodic sites on the metal surface, aggressive pitting occurs adjacent to biofilms. Many pits are associated with triple points and inclusions in the aluminum alloy microstructure. Similar bacterial colonization was found on the stainless steel samples. Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy confirmed the presence of carbonyl groups in pitted areas of samples exposed to biologically active waters.

Walsh, Daniel W.↗
DOE OSTI2015

HPGe detector shielding optimization with MCNPX for the MEDINA PGNAA cell

Radioactive waste repositories must guarantee the non-toxicity of the waste in the long term, not only regarding radioactivity but also regarding other environmental contamination such as toxic chemicals. Analytical methods already exist for chemical characterization (ICP-MS, ICP-AES...) but they are based on test sampling. A possible alternative, for waste packages with an appropriate gamma radiation level, is to use Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA), a non-destructive measurement technique sensitive to several toxic chemicals. In view of the characterization of radioactive wastes in Germany and France, collaboration between the CEA Cadarache (France) and the Forschungszentrum Juelich (Germany) was initiated a few years ago. FZJ holds a PGNAA graphite cell called MEDINA (Multi Element Detection based on Instrumental Neutron Activation), allowing the characterization of 225 L drums. Fast neutrons are emitted from a D-T pulsed 14 MeV neutron generator and thermalized in graphite to induced radiative captures in the waste materials. Prompt capture gamma rays are detected using a 104% relative efficiency n-type HPGe. However, HPGe crystal is sensitive to fast neutron damage and to thermal neutron activation. A thermal neutron shield made of lithium fluorine and lithium carbonate is already used around the detector. In order to further decrease the current of fast and thermal neutrons coming into the crystal without penalizing MEDINA sensitivity (by decreasing the thermal neutron flux and neutron die away time of the cell, the gamma detection efficiency, or increasing the gamma background), some configurations based on easy-to-implement modifications of MEDINA have been simulated with MCNPX with a model of the cell already validated by experiments. Results show that fast and thermal neutron incoming current in the HPGe could easily be reduced by about a factor of 2 by additional quantities of graphite and by replacing lithium carbonate by lithium fluorine with a higher {sup 6}Li concentration. In addition, these modifications slightly increase the thermal neutron flux in the cell without deteriorating the neutron die away time, and reduce the gamma background about a factor of 2 during the neutron pulse but 5 times less after it. More important changes have also been tested, such as the addition of polyethylene and lead between the neutron generator and the HPGe detector, which is more effective regarding neutron shielding but decreases the neutron die away time, partly compensated by a larger initial thermal neutron flux. Concerning gamma background, hydrogen capture gamma ray (2.23 MeV) is increased due to the presence of polyethylene but lead around the HPGe decreases the total gamma background. In conclusion, simple modifications are possible to improve detector shielding and life time before thermal annealing of the crystal, without reducing MEDINA cell performances. Some of these modifications will be tested in the coming months. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2013

A SiO 2-1 SURVEY TOWARD GAS-RICH ACTIVE GALAXIES

In order to study the feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGNs), we performed a survey of SiO J = 2-1 (v = 0) transition toward ten gas-rich active galaxies with the IRAM 30 m telescope. As the first survey of SiO in such galaxies, we detected SiO J = 2-1 (v = 0) emission in six galaxies above the 3σ level and one galaxy (NGC 3690) at the 2.7σ level. The detection rate is not related to the AGN type or to star formation activity. In comparison with M82, which is a pure star-forming galaxy without nuclear activity, our SiO detections could not be completely ascribed to being due to star formation activity. This suggests that the AGN feedback may be efficient in producing SiO molecules in such galaxies. Further surveys with large single-dish millimeter telescopes and interferometers are necessary for understanding the origin of SiO in galaxies with nuclear activity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1989

Control surface spanwise placement in active flutter suppression systems

All flutter suppression systems require sensors to detect the movement of the lifting surface and to activate a control surface according to a synthesized control law. Most of the work performed to date relates to the development of control laws based on predetermined locations of sensors and control surfaces. These locations of sensors and control surfaces are determined either arbitrarily, or by means of a trial and error procedure. The aerodynamic energy concept indicates that the sensors should be located within the activated strip. Furthermore, the best chordwise location of a sensor activating a T.E. control surface is around the 65 percent chord location. The best chordwise location for a sensor activating a L.E. surface is shown to lie upstream of the wing (around 20 percent upstream of the leading edge), or alternatively, two sensors located along the same chord should be used.

Nissim, E.↗
DOE OSTI2016

Triton burnup measurements in KSTAR using a neutron activation system

Measurements of the time-integrated triton burnup for deuterium plasma in Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) have been performed following the simultaneous detection of the d-d and d-t neutrons. The d-d neutrons were measured using a {sup 3}He proportional counter, fission chamber, and activated indium sample, whereas the d-t neutrons were detected using activated silicon and copper samples. The triton burnup ratio from KSTAR discharges is found to be in the range 0.01%–0.50% depending on the plasma conditions. The measured burnup ratio is compared with the prompt loss fraction of tritons calculated with the Lorentz orbit code and the classical slowing-down time. The burnup ratio is found to increase as plasma current and classical slowing-down time increase.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2011

Aging Enhances the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Bactericidal Activity in Peritoneal Macrophages by Upregulating Classical Activation Pathways

Maintenance of macrophages in their basal state and their rapid activation in response to pathogen detection are central to the innate immune system, acting to limit nonspecific oxidative damage and promote pathogen killing following infection. To identify possible age-related alterations in macrophage function, we have assayed the function of peritoneal macrophages from young (3–4 months) and aged (14–15 months) Balb/c mice. In agreement with prior suggestions, we observe age-dependent increases in the extent of recruitment of macrophages into the peritoneum, as well as ex vivo functional changes involving enhanced nitric oxide production under resting conditions that contribute to a reduction in the time needed for full activation of senescent macrophages following exposure to lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Further, we observe enhanced bactericidal activity following Salmonella uptake by macrophages isolated from aged Balb/c mice in comparison with those isolated from young animals. Pathways responsible for observed phenotypic changes were interrogated using tandem mass spectrometry, which identified age-dependent increases in levels of proteins linked to immune cell pathways under basal conditions and following LPS activation. Immune pathways upregulated in macrophages isolated from aged mice include proteins critical to the formation of the immunoproteasome. Detection of these latter proteins is dramatically enhanced following LPS exposure for macrophages isolated from aged animals; in comparison, the identification of immunoproteasome subunits is insensitive to LPS exposure for macrophages isolated from young animals. Consistent with observed global changes in the proteome, quantitative proteomic measurements indicate that there are age-dependent abundance changes involving specific proteins linked to immune cell function under basal conditions. LPS exposure selectively increases the levels of many proteins involved in immune cell function in aged Balb/c mice. Collectively, these results indicate that macrophages isolated from old mice are in a preactivated state that enhances their sensitivities to LPS exposure. The hyper-responsive activation of macrophages in aged animals may act to minimize infection by general bacterial threats that arise due to age-dependent declines in adaptive immunity. Finally, however, this hypersensitivity and the associated increase in the level of formation of reactive oxygen species are likely to contribute to observed age-dependent increases in the level of oxidative damage that underlie many diseases of the elderly.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1990

Influence of iodine on the treatment of spacecraft humidity condensate to produce potable water

Several compounds in the ersatz humidity condensate do react with iodine to form iodine-substituted organic compounds (TOI), most notably phenol, acetaldehyde, ethanol, and sodium formate. Iodination of the ersatz humidity condensate produced 3.0 to 3.5 mg/L of TOI within 24 hours. The TOI that was produced by the passage of the ersatz humidity condensate through the first iodinated resin (IR) in the adsorption system was removed by the granular activated carbon that followed. TOI detected in the final effluent was formed by the reaction of the non-adsorbable condensate compounds with the final IR in the treatment series. The activated carbon bed series in the adsorption system performed poorly in its removal of TOC. The rapid breakthrough of TOC was not surprising, as the ersatz humidity condensate contained several highly soluble organic compounds, alcohols and organic acids.

Symons, James M.↗
DOE OSTI2017

miR-137 attenuates Aβ-induced neurotoxicity through inactivation of NF-κB pathway by targeting TNFAIP1 in Neuro2a cells

Background: Accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) and neuroinflammation are implicated in the pathogenesis and development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Neuron-enriched miR-137 was aberrantly downregulated and may be associated with the pathogenesis of AD. However, the detailed function of miR-137 in AD pathogenesis and the molecular mechanism have not been elucidated. Methods: The expressions of miR-137 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα)-induced protein 1 (TNFAIP1) at mRNA and protein levels in primary mouse cortical neurons and Neuro2a (N2a) cells exposed to different concentrations of Aβ{sub 25-35} were examined by qRT-PCR and western blot. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the potential target of miR-137. MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis, caspase-3 activity assay, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and western blot were used to detect cell viability, apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) activity and level, respectively. Results: Aβ{sub 25-35} downregulated miR-137 and upregulated TNFAIP1 in primary mouse cortical neurons and N2a cells. In addition, miR-137 was found to directly target TNFAIP1 and suppress its mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, miR-137 restoration and TNFAIP1 knockdown facilitate Aβ{sub 25-35}-induced cell toxicity, apoptosis, caspase-3 activity, and activated NF-κB in N2a cells, which was partially abolished by TNFAIP1 overexpression. Conclusion: miR-137 attenuated Aβ-induced neurotoxicity through inactivation of NF-κB pathway by targeting TNFAIP1 in N2a cells, shedding light on the molecular mechanism of miR-137 underlying Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. - Highlights: • Aβ{sub 25-35} downregulated miR-137 and upregulated TNFAIP1 in cortical neurons and N2a cells. • miR-137 suppressed TNFAIP1 expression through direct binding at the 3′UTR. • miR-137 overexpression contributed to Aβ{sub 25-35}-induced cell toxicity and apoptosis. • miR-137 overexpression on Aβ{sub 25-35}-induced neurotoxicity activated NF-κB pathway.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1982

The evolution of Florida thunderstorms on 23 September 1979 as observed by an airborne passive microwave radiometer

The observations made by the aircraft are examined in order to determine sensing parameters for future satellite missions. Minimum brightness temperatures substantially below atmospheric temperatures are revealed in the data. Scattering by an ice layer within the clouds is postulated as the cause. A one-dimensional cloud model initialized with a representative local sounding gives reasonable values for the height and thickness of this ice layer. The model cloud is similar to the observed cloud in both cloud top height and radar reflectivity. A 'mystery' feature observed by the microwave sensors as an area of enhanced scattering, suggesting an updraft core of graupel that in turn is indicative of a convective tower is considered of particular interest. It is noted that this feature was masked in the visible and infrared sensors by the presence of upper-level semitransparent cirrus. The detection of this mystery feature is seen as suggesting that passive microwave sensing of convective areas may provide information regarding the location and/or strength of the more active towers which cannot be detected now with conventional visible or infrared instruments because of a uniform higher-level cloud cover.

Hakkarinen, I. M.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Discovery of Ubiquitous Fast Propagating Intensity Disturbances by the Chromospheric Lyman Alpha Spectropolarimeter (CLASP)

High cadence observations by the slit-jaw (SJ) optics system of the sounding rocket experiment known as the Chromospheric Lyman Alpha SpectroPolarimeter (CLASP) reveal ubiquitous intensity disturbances that recurrently propagate in one or both of the chromosphere or transition region at a speed much higher than the sound speed. The CLASP/SJ instrument provides a time series of 2D images taken with broadband filters centered on the Ly(alpha) line at a 0.6 s cadence. The fast propagating intensity disturbances are detected in the quiet Sun and in an active region, and at least 20 events are clearly detected in the field of view of 527′′ x 527′′ during the 5-minute observing time. The apparent speeds of the intensity disturbances range from 150 to 350 km/s, and they are comparable to the local Alfven speed in the transition region. The intensity disturbances tend to propagate along bright elongated structures away from areas with strong photospheric magnetic fields. This suggests that the observed propagating intensity disturbances are related to the magnetic canopy structures. The maximum distance traveled by the intensity disturbances is of about 10′′, and the widths are a few arcseconds, which is almost determined by the pixel size of 1.′′03. The timescale of each intensity pulse is shorter than 30 s. One possible explanation of the fast propagating intensity disturbances observed by CLASP is magneto-hydrodynamic fast mode waves.

CLASP↗
DOE OSTI2017

Single Pd Atoms on θ-Al 2 O 3 (010) Surface do not Catalyze NO Oxidation

New convenient wet chemistry synthetic routes have made it possible to explore catalytic activities of a variety of single supported atoms. The majority of single supported atoms have been synthesized on active supports which participate in oxidation reactions. The single supported atoms on inert substrates (e.g. alumina) are limited to Pt adatoms and Pd cations, and are generally active toward CO oxidation. In this manuscript, we show that single Pd atoms on -alumina show high CO oxidation activity; however, they exhibit no detectable NO oxidation under our experimental conditions. This led us to employ first principles modeling to explore multiple Langmuir-Hinshelwood-type pathways to explain high CO oxidation activity but lack of NO oxidation activity. For completeness, we have also examined Eley-Riedel pathways. We find that a pathway that involves carbonate or nitrate as an intermediate can explain the experimental results of CO and NO oxidation on single alumina supported Pd cations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

DEEP CHANDRA MONITORING OBSERVATIONS OF NGC 4649. I. CATALOG OF SOURCE PROPERTIES

We present the X-ray source catalog for the Chandra monitoring observations of the elliptical galaxy, NGC 4649. The galaxy has been observed with Chandra ACIS-S3 in six separate pointings, reaching a total exposure of 299 ks. There are 501 X-ray sources detected in the 0.3-8.0 keV band in the merged observation or in one of the six individual observations; 399 sources are located within the D{sub 25} ellipse. The observed 0.3-8.0 keV luminosities of these 501 sources range from 9.3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 36} erg s{sup -1} to 5.4 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 39} erg s{sup -1}. The 90% detection completeness limit within the D{sub 25} ellipse is 5.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 37} erg s{sup -1}. Based on the surface density of background active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and detection completeness, we expect Almost-Equal-To 45 background AGNs among the catalog sources ( Almost-Equal-To 15 within the D{sub 25} ellipse). There are nine sources with luminosities greater than 10{sup 39} erg s{sup -1}, which are candidates for ultraluminous X-ray sources. The nuclear source of NGC 4649 is a low-luminosity AGN, with an intrinsic 2.0-8.0 keV X-ray luminosity of 1.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 38} erg s{sup -1}. The X-ray colors suggest that the majority of the catalog sources are low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). We find that 164 of the 501 X-ray sources show long-term variability, indicating that they are accreting compact objects. We discover four transient candidates and another four potential transients. We also identify 173 X-ray sources (141 within the D{sub 25} ellipse) that are associated with globular clusters (GCs) based on Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based data; these LMXBs tend to be hosted by red GCs. Although NGC 4649 has a much larger population of X-ray sources than the structurally similar early-type galaxies, NGC 3379 and NGC 4278, the X-ray source properties are comparable in all three systems.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS2009

The Case for Enceladus Science

Enceladus has taken its place as one of the most remarkable moons in the solar system. When Voyager encountered Enceladus it was noted that its surface showed signs of recent activity with the observations of a large province, which was characterized by smooth sparsely cratered terrain. Even the heavily cratered areas of Enceladus showed a lower crater density than other Saturnian satellites. Moreover, its extraordinarily high albedo hinted at past cryovolcanic resurfacing events. Ground-based observations further demonstrated that Saturn's diffuse E-ring is concentrated at the orbit of EnceladLis, making the moon, the likely source of E-ring particles. However the short estimated lifetime of E-ring particles requires that new particles must constantly be fed to the Ering, implying more recent activity on Enceladus. Recently, in 2005 the Cassini spacecraft provided definitive proof that Enceladus is currently geologically active when multiple Cassini instruments detected plumes of gas and ice particles emanating from a series of warm fractures centered on the south pole, dubbed the "tiger stripes." Enceladus is the second cryovolcanically active icy satellite that has been identified (Triton is the only other known active icy satellite) and can be used to study active processes that are thought to have once played a role in shaping the surfaces of other icy satellites. These processes include tidal heating, cryovolcanism, and ice tectonism, which all can be studied as they currently happen on Enceladus, Moreover, the plume source region on Enceladus samples a warm, chemically rich, environment that may facilitate complex organic chemistry and biological processes. For these reasons, Enceladus science is highly relevant to NASA's goals.

Hurford, T. A.↗