Capillary processes in extraterrestrial contexts

TL;DR

This paper explores capillary phenomena on celestial bodies with liquid surfaces or subsurface oceans, emphasizing their significance for planetary science and astrobiology.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of capillarity physics in extraterrestrial environments and discusses their implications for planetary geoscience and astrobiology.

Findings

Capillarity influences surface and subsurface liquid behavior on moons and planets.

Understanding capillary processes aids in interpreting extraterrestrial liquid environments.

Capillarity effects may impact the habitability and geological evolution of celestial bodies.

Abstract

The Earth is no longer the only known celestial body containing one or more liquid phases. The Cassini spacecraft has discovered seas of hydrocarbons at the surface of Titan, while a series of corroborating evidences argue in favour of the existence of an aqueous ocean beneath the icy crust of several moons. Capillarity embraces a family of physical processes occurring at the free surface of a liquid. These phenomena depend on the liquid properties and on the local planetary conditions. Capillarity may have important direct or indirect implications on the geoscientific and astrobiological points of view. In this paper, we discuss capillarity physics among solar system objects and expected consequences for planetary science.