Waite, J. H., Jr, Lewis, W. S, Magee, B. A, Lunine, J. I, McKinnon, W. B, Glein, C. R, Mousis, O, Young, D. T, Brockwell, T, Westlake, J, Nguyen, M.-J, Teolis, B. D, Niemann, H. B, McNutt, R. L., Jr, Perry, M, and Ip, W.-H
Jets of water ice from surface fractures near the south pole of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus produce a plume of gas and particles. The source of the jets may be a liquid water region under the ice shell-as suggested most recently by the discovery of salts in E-ring particles derived from the plume-or warm ice that is heated, causing dissociation of clathrate hydrates. Here we report that ammonia is present in the plume, along with various organic compounds, deuterium and, very probably, Ar-40. The presence of ammonia provides strong evidence for the existence of at least some liquid water, given that temperatures in excess of 180 K have been measured near the fractures from which the jets emanate. We conclude, from the overall composition of the material, that the plume derives from both a liquid reservoir (or from ice that in recent geological time has been in contact with such a reservoir) as well as from degassing, volatile-charged ice. As part of a general comprehensive review of the midsize saturnian satellites at the conclusion of the prime Cassini mission, PI McKinnon and co-I Barr contributed to three review chapters.