A2_2 Thawing of Europa by a stellar Jupiter

Abstract

Jupiter's moon Europa could have primitive life existing beneath its surface of ice. The book 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke proposes that transforming Jupiter into a star would melt the ice on Europa, providing conditions suitable for advanced life forms. This paper assesses the effects on Europa should Jupiter's mass increase suitably to cause ignition. It is found that igniting Jupiter would cause orbital problems which would need to be managed, if these problems could be solved the radiation output of the new star would be more than sufficient to thaw Europa. Additional changes would need to be made to the moon for conditions to be fully suitable for advanced life, these are also discussed.