Laboratory exploration of mineral precipitates from Europa's subsurface ocean.

The precipitation of hydrated phases from a chondrite-like Na-Mg-Ca-SO-Cl solution is studied using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction, under rapid- (360 K h, = 250-80 K, = 3 h) and ultra-slow-freezing (0.3 K day,  = 273-245 K, = 242 days) conditions. The precipitation sequence under slow cooling initially follows the predictions of equilibrium thermodynamics models. However, after ∼50 days at 245 K, the formation of the highly hydrated sulfate phase NaMg(SO)·16HO, a relatively recent discovery in the NaMg(SO)-HO system, was observed. Rapid freezing, on the other hand, produced an assemblage of multiple phases which formed within a very short timescale (≤4 min, Δ = 2 K) and, although remaining present throughout, varied in their relative proportions with decreasing temperature. Mirabilite and meridianiite were the major phases, with pentahydrite, epsomite, hydrohalite, gypsum, blödite, konyaite and loweite also observed. NaMg(SO)·16HO was again found to be present and increased in proportion relative to other phases as the temperature decreased. The results are discussed in relation to possible implications for life on Europa and application to other icy ocean worlds.