M40 - Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy for Detection of Biosignatures in Europa's Ice Shell

Monday, October 6, 2025

9:45 AM - 5:30 PM EDT

Location: Ballroom C

Presenting Author(s)

Brandon Pitzer

PhD Candidate
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

Project Lead(s)

BS

Bhavya Sharma, PhD

Associate Professor
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

Submitter(s)

Brandon Pitzer

PhD Candidate
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

In fifteen words or less, explain the significance of this contribution (Novel Aspect).: The first utilization of SORS to study biosignatures in ice analogs of celestial bodies.

Abstract Text: Astrobiology is the study of life in the universe and aims to identify and understand what extraterrestrial environments can sustain life. One place in our solar system that has captured the attention of many scientists is one of the moons of Jupiter called Europa, which has an ocean underneath an ice shell. The subsurface ocean is believed to contain key elements and molecules that would indicate life. A promising analytical technique to probe the surface of Europa is Raman spectroscopy (RS). Rapid data analysis, little sample preparation, being non-destructive, and a unique vibrational spectrum produced for each molecule make RS an ideal candidate for detecting biosignatures on Europa. While all these characteristics are positive, due to the intense radiation from Jupiter this may cause the degradation of biosignatures which normal RS may have difficulty detecting on the moon surface. However, utilizing a variation of RS called spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) may prove to be a better strategy. SORS is applied towards detecting subsurface layers in multi-layered material. It is highly probable that the survival of potential biosignatures may be preserved just several centimeters below the top surface. SORS allows for probing these subsurface layers at greater accuracy than normal RS. Here we present the application of SORS to detect biosignatures in ice analogs of celestial bodies. Amino acids have been chosen to serve as a model biosignature, due to an abundance of these molecules found in space. Specifically, L-Tyrosine was chosen due to its chemical structure having a large Raman cross section allowing for easier detection at concentrations as low as the ppb-ppm range in ice analogs of Europa.