Long Period Seismology on Europa: I. Physically Consistent Interior Models

In order to examine the potential of seismology to determine the interior structure and properties of Europa, it is essential to calculate seismic velocities and attenuation for the range of plausible interiors. We calculate a range of models for the physical structure of Europa, as constrained by the satellite’s composition, mass, and moment of inertia. We assume a water-ice shell, a pyrolitic or a chondritic mantle, and a core composed of pure iron or iron plus 20 weight percent of sulfur. We consider two extreme mantle thermal states: hot and cold. Given a temperature and composition, we determine density, seismic velocities, and attenuation using thermodynamical models. While anelastic effects will be negligible in a cold mantle and the brittle part of the ice shell, strong dispersion and dissipation are expected in a hot convective mantle and the bulk of the ice shell. There is a strong relationship between different thermal structures and compositions. The “hot” mantle may maintain temperatures consistent with a liquid core made of iron plus light elements. For the “cold scenarios”, the possibility of a solid iron core cannot be excluded and it may even be favored. The depths of the ocean and core-mantle boundary are determined with high precision, respectively 10 km and 40 km, once we assume a composition and thermal structure. Furthermore, the depth of the ocean is relatively insensitive (4 km) to the core composition used.