Workshop on the Origins and Habitability of the Galilean Moons

Purpose and scope

The Workshop on the Origins and Habitability of the Galilean Moons aims to establish the link between our knowledge of the present natures of Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, and their formation conditions. The goal is to prepare for the arrival of the ESA/JUICE and NASA/Europa-Clipper missions in the Jovian system. This workshop, held in Marseille, France, is the first of a series to be held at 2-3 year intervals before the arrivals of the two missions around Jupiter. The workshops’ locations will alternate between Europe and the US to ensure broad international participation.

This first workshop will extend discussions to all the giant planets systems, and strategize paths forward for future missions to the ice giants and Saturn systems. Appropriate workshop topics include science, technologies, and mission concepts relevant to future explorations of giant planets moons and rings. In particular, the link between the composition of the moons and the formation conditions of the giant planets systems, as well as their potential habitability, as evidenced by measurement techniques, instrumentation, theoretical modeling, laboratory and field experiments, and future mission concepts in the framework of international collaborations, are of high interest.

The workshop will comprise three themed sessions centered around missions, habitability, and origins. Each contribution should be oriented along with one of those themes at least. The workshop will feature a mixture of keynote, invited and contributed talks, posters, and panel discussions. This meeting will be in person, but limited opportunity for virtual participation is planned. The organizers will monitor the COVID situation at that time of the year, and the workshop format, including virtual participation, will be adjusted as necessary.

Presenters will be encouraged to submit review papers, as well as original contributions to the special issue of a dedicated well-established journal (currently under negotiation).