Dark wounds on icy moons: Ganymede's subsurface ocean as a dark matter detector

TL;DR

This paper proposes that Ganymede's surface features could reveal impacts from dark matter particles, offering a novel method to detect dark matter in a previously unconstrained mass range through geological and observational signatures.

Contribution

The study introduces a new approach to detect macroscopic dark matter impacts on Ganymede, combining analytic estimates and impact simulations, and discusses observational prospects with upcoming space missions.

Findings

Dark matter impacts can punch through Ganymede's ice, leaving detectable sub-surface material.

Simulations confirm the potential for impact signatures to be observable.

Upcoming missions may detect signs of dark matter impacts on Ganymede.

Abstract

Dark matter in the form of macroscopic composites is largely unconstrained at masses of $\sim 10^{11}- 10^{17}$ g. In this mass range, dark matter may collide with planetary bodies, depositing an immense amount of energy and leaving dramatic surface features that remain detectable on geological timescales. In this paper, we show that Ganymede, the largest Jovian moon, provides a prime target to search for dark matter impacts due to its differentiated composition and Gyr-old surface. We study the effects of dark matter collisions with Ganymede first with analytic estimates, finding that in a large region of parameter space, dark matter punches through Ganymede's conductive ice sheet, liberating sub-surface material. This sub-surface material may be compositionally different from the surface ice, providing a key observable with which to discriminate asteroid impacts from those caused by dark matter. We confirm our analytic estimates with dedicated simulations of dark matter impacts using iSALE, a multi-material impact code. We then discuss potential detection prospects with two missions currently en route to the Jovian system, Europa Clipper and JUICE, finding that these missions may have the ability not only to identify signs of life on the Galilean moons, but signs of dark matter as well.