Characterization of Ocean Layers in the Outer Solar System – COLOSSe

Ocean layers buried beneath an ice crust now seem ubiquitous within water rich planetary bodies of the outer solar system. Some constitute at present the most promising of potentially habitable extraterrestrial environments (Europa, Enceladus). Most studies dedicated to the interior of ocean worlds have however focused on solid layers ; the description of oceans themselves remains simplistic. This project builds on an interdisciplinary team at the frontier of planetology and fluid mechanics in order to lift the veil on the dynamics of these poorly known objects. Doing so prior to the coming space missions (JUICE, Europa Clipper) is key as relevant observations to constrain the physical state of ocean habitats are currently defined. We propose a dual experimental/numerical study of ocean flow and dissipation in the light of heat and mass transport from the seafloor. Consequences on the surface ice shell structure, more accessible to orbiting space probes, will be scrutinized.