Mikko Tuomi<p>While direct exposure to high <a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/radiation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>radiation</span></a> dose is indeed not favourable for biological activity, ionizing radiation can, and in some cases is known to produce a number of biologically useful products.</p><p>One such mechanism is the production of biologically useful products via charged particle-induced <a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/radiolysis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>radiolysis</span></a>.</p><p>By combining energy deposition calculations with the energy requirements of microbial cells, it is possible to define the radiolytic <a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/habitable" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>habitable</span></a> zone for <a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/Mars" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Mars</span></a>, <a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/Europa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Europa</span></a>, and <a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/Enceladus" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Enceladus</span></a>, capable of sustaining microbial <a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/metabolism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>metabolism</span></a>.</p><p>Calculations suggest that bacterial cell density could be highest in Enceladus, followed by Mars and Europa.</p><p><a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/life" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>life</span></a> <a href="https://scicomm.xyz/tags/astrobiology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>astrobiology</span></a><br><a href="https://astrobiology.com/2025/07/estimating-the-potential-of-ionizing-radiation-induced-radiolysis-for-microbial-metabolism-on-terrestrial-planets-and-satellites-with-rarefied-atmospheres.html" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">astrobiology.com/2025/07/estim</span><span class="invisible">ating-the-potential-of-ionizing-radiation-induced-radiolysis-for-microbial-metabolism-on-terrestrial-planets-and-satellites-with-rarefied-atmospheres.html</span></a></p>