Thermal and electromagnetic models for radar sounding of the galilean satellite icy crusts

The icy satellites of Jupiter are known to host a water ocean beneath an ice shell. The ice penetrating Radar for Icy Moon Exploration (RIME) housed on board the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission is expected to probe the crust of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto up to a depth of 9 km. The main objectives of RIME are the detection of the relic Brittle-Ductile Transition in the ice shell of Ganymede and Callisto, and the identification of melt materials on Europa. The penetration of the radar signal is strictly connected to the electromagnetic properties of the ice, that in turn depends on the presence of contaminants and temperature profile inside the crust. Laboratory measurements carried out in the temperature range of (100-273)K provided the dielectric properties of pure, salty and dusty ices, whereas temperature profiles are obtained taking into account the heat conduction and thermal convection models for the Galilean satellites. The combination of electromagnetic and thermal properties of the icy crusts allowed us to generate simulated radar data at the operation frequency of RIME (9 MHz). Such simulations are important to determine the radar performance, estimating the signal penetration and the capability to resolve buried layers.