Formation of the regular satellites of giant planets in an extended gaseous nebula II: satellite migration and survival

For a satellite to survive in the disk the time scale of satellite migration must be longer than the time scale for gas dissipation. For large satellites (∼1000 km) migration is dominated by the gas tidal torque. We consider the possibility that the redistribution of gas in the disk due to the tidal torque of a satellite with mass larger than the inviscid critical mass causes the satellite to stall and open a gap (W.R. Ward, 1997, Icarus 26, 261-281). We adapt the inviscid critical mass criterion to include gas drag, and m-dependent nonlocal deposition of angular momentum. We find that such a model holds promise of explaining the survival of satellites in the subnebula, the mass versus distance relationship apparent in the saturnian and uranian satellite systems, the concentration of mass in Titan, and the observation that the satellites of Jupiter get rockier closer to the planet whereas those of Saturn become increasingly icy. It is also possible that either weak turbulence (close to the planet) or gap-opening satellite tidal torque removes gas on a similar time scale (10⁴-10⁵ years) as the orbital decay time of midsized (200-700 km) regular satellites forming in the inner disk (inside the centrifugal radius (I. Mosqueira and P.R. Estrada, 2003, Icarus, this issue)). We argue that Saturn’s satellite system bridges the gap between those of Jupiter and Uranus by combining the formation of a Galilean-sized satellite in a gas optically thick subnebula with a strong temperature gradient, and the formation of smaller satellites, closer to the planet, in a disk with gas optical depth ?1, and a weak temperature gradient.Using an optically thick inner disk (given gaseous opacity), and an extended, quiescent, optically thin outer disk, we show that there are regions of the disk of small net tidal torque (even zero) where satellites (Iapetus-sized or larger) may stall far from the planet. For our model these outer regions of small net tidal torque correspond roughly to the locations of Callisto and Iapetus. Though the precise location depends on the (unknown) size of the transition region between the inner and outer disks, the result that Saturn’s is found much farther out (at ∼3rcS, where rcS is Saturn’s centrifugal radius) than Jupiter’s (at ∼ 2rcJ, where rcJ is Jupiter’s centrifugal radius) is mostly due to Saturn’s less massive outer disk and larger Hill radius. However, despite the large separation between Ganymede and Callisto and Titan and Iapetus, the long formation and migration time scales for Callisto and Iapetus (I. Mosqueira and P.R. Estrada, 2003, Icarus, this issue) makes it possible (depending on the details of the damping of acoustic waves) that the tidal torque of Ganymede and Titan clears the gas disk out to their location, thus stranding Callisto and Iapetus far from the planet. Either way, our model provides an explanation for the presence of regular satellites outside the centrifugal radii of Jupiter and Saturn, and the absence of such a satellite for Uranus.     

Formation of the saturnian system: A modern Laplacian theory

A theory for the formation of Saturn and its family of satellites, which is based on ideas of supersonic turbulent convection applied to the original Laplacian hypothesis, is presented. It is shown that if the primitive rotating cloud which gravitationally contracted to form Saturn possessed the same level of turbulent kinetic energy as the clouds which formed Jupiter and the Sun, given by % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaWaaSqaaSqaai% aaigdaaeaacaaIYaaaaOGaaiikaiabeg8aYnaaBaaajea4baGaamiD% aaWcbeaakiaadAhadaqhaaqcKfaGaeaadaWgaaqcKjaGaeaacaWG0b% aabeaaaSqaaiaaikdaaaGccaGGPaGaeyypa0ZaaSqaaSqaaiaaigda% aeaacaaIYaaaaOGaeqOSdiMaeqyWdiNaam4raiaad2eacaGGOaGaam% OCaiaacMcacaGGVaGaamOCaaaa!4D3D!\[\tfrac{1}{2}(\rho _t v_{_t }^2 ) = \tfrac{1}{2}\beta \rho GM(r)/r\] where =0.1065 ± 0.0015, then it would shed a concentric system of orbiting gas rings each of about the same mass: namely, 1.0 × 10^–3 M _S. The orbital radii R _n (n = 0, 1, 2, ...) of these gas rings form a geometric sequence similar to the observed distances of the regular satellites. It is proposed that the satellites condensed from the gas rings one at a time, commencing with Iapetus which originally occupied a circular orbit at radius 11.4 R _S. As the temperatures of the gas rings T _n increase with decreasing orbital size according as T _n 1/R _n , a uniform gradient should be evident amongst the satellite compositions: Mimas is expected to be the rockiest and Iapetus the least rocky satellite. The densities predicted by the model coincide with the Voyager-determined values. Iapetus contains some 8% by weight solid CH₄. Titan is believed to be a captured satellite. It was probably responsible for driving Iapetus to its present distant orbit. Accretional time-scales and the post-accretional evolution of the satellites are briefly discussed.     

Determination of the orbit of a natural satellite with hyperbolic flybys

We show that, when a natural satellite like Titan is invisible (e.g., due to an opaque atmosphere) its planetary orbit and its mass can be determined by tracking a spacecraft in close flybys. This is an important problem in the Cassini mission to the Saturnian system, which will be greatly improved by a good astrometric model for all its main components; in particular, an accuracy of a few hundred meters for the orbit of Titan is necessary to allow a measurement of its moment of inertia. The orbit of the spacecraft is the union of elliptical arcs, joined by short hyperbolic transitions: a problem of singular perturbation theory, whose solution leads to a matching condition between the inner hyperbolic orbit and the elliptical orbital elements. Since the inner elements are given in terms of the relative position and velocity of the spacecraft, accurate Doppler measurements in both regions can provide a satisfactory determination of Titan's position and velocity, hence of its Keplerian elements. The errors in this determination are discussed on the basis of the expected Allan deviation of the Doppler method; it is found that the driving errors are those in the elliptical arcs; the fractional errors in Titan's orbital elements are expected to be 10^–7. It is also possible to measure the mass of the satellite; however, when the eccentricity e of the flybys is large, the mass and a scaling transformation are highly correlated and the fractional error in the mass is expected to be e times worse.     

The fate of ejecta from Hyperion

Ejecta from Saturn's moon Hyperion are subject to powerful perturbations from nearby Titan, which control their ultimate fate. We have performed numerical integrations to simulate a simplified system consisting of Saturn (including optical flattening as well as dynamical oblateness), its main ring system (treated as a massless flat annulus), the moons Tethys, Dione, Titan, Hyperion, and Iapetus, and the Sun (treated simply as a massive satellite). At several different points in Hyperion's orbit, 1050 massless particles, more or less evenly distributed over latitude and longitude, were ejected radially outward from 1 km above Hyperion's mean radius at speeds 10% faster than escape speed from Hyperion. Most of these particles were removed within the first few thousand years, but ∼3% of them survived the entire 100,000-year duration of the simulations. Ejecta from Hyperion are much more widely scattered than previously thought, and can cross the orbits of all of Saturn's satellites. About 9% of all the particles escaped from the saturnian system, but Titan accreted ∼78% of the total, while Hyperion reaccreted only ∼5%. This low efficiency of reaccretion may help to account for Hyperion's small size and rugged shape. Only ∼1% of all the particles hit other satellites, and another ∼1% impacted Saturn itself, while ∼3% of them struck its main rings. The high proportion of impacts into Saturn's rings is surprising; these collisions show a broad decline in impact speed with time, suggesting that Hyperion ejecta gradually spread inwards. Additional simulations were used to investigate the dependence of ejecta evolution on launch speed, the mass of Hyperion, and the presence of the Sun. In general, the wide distribution of ejecta from Hyperion suggests that it does contribute to “Population II” craters on the inner satellites of Saturn. Ejecta which escape from a satellite into temporary orbit about its planet, but later reimpact into the same moon or another one produce “poltorary” impacts, intermediate in character between primary and secondary impacts. It may be possible to distinguish poltorary craters from primary and secondary craters on the basis of morphology.     

An explanation for the light curve of Jupiter's and Saturn's satellites

Several satellites of Jupiter and Saturn show an asymmetric reflectance between the leading hemisphere (which is generally brighter for the inner satellites of both systems) and the trailing one (which is brighter for the outer satellites Callisto and Iapetus). In order to seek a unified explantation of these observational data we assume that, during the final phase of the satellite accumulation process, the surfaces were subjected to a heavy meteoroidal bombardment by the residual bodies in the circumplanetary protosatellite swarms. With suitable hypotheses about the orbital elements of these bodies, the resulting collision rate is anisotropic in an opposite way for inner and outer satellites, with a difference between the two hemispheres of the order of 10–20% for all satellites except Iapetus (for which the anisotropy is larger). We conclude that the model can qualitatively account for the observed effect, even if it is difficult to propose a detailed mechanism for changing the albedo properties of the satellite surfaces by means of meteoroidal collisions.     

Tidally Induced Volcanism

The dissipation of tidal energy causes the ongoing silicate volcanism on Jupiter's satellite, Io, and cryovolcanism almost certainly has resurfaced parts of Saturn's satellite, Enceladus, at various epochs distributed over the latter's history. The maintenance of tidal dissipation in Io and the occurrence of the same on Enceladus depends crucially on the maintenance of the respective orbital eccentricities by the existence of mean motion resonances with nearby satellites. A formation of the resonances among the Galilean satellites by differential expansion of the satellite orbits from tides raised on Jupiter by the satellites means the onset of the volcanism on Io could be relatively recent. If, on the other hand, the resonances formed by differential migration from resonant interactions of the satellites with the disk of gas and particles from which they formed, Io would have been at least intermittently volcanically active throughout its history. Either means of assembling the Galilean satellite resonances lead to the same constraint on the dissipation function of Jupiter Q _J 10⁶, where the currently high heat flux from Io seems to favor episodic heating as Io's eccentricity periodically increases and decreases. Either of the two models might account for sufficient tidal dissipation in the icy satellite Enceladus to cause at least occasional cryovolcanism over much of its history. However, both models are assumption-dependent and not secure, so uncertainty remains on how tidal dissipation resurfaced Enceladus.     

Hydrocarbons on Saturn's satellites Iapetus and Phoebe

Material of low geometric albedo (pV?0.1) is found on many objects in the outer Solar System, but its distribution in the saturnian satellite system is of special interest because of its juxtaposition with high-albedo ice. In the absence of clear, diagnostic spectral features, the composition of this low-albedo (or “dark”) material is generally inferred to be carbon-rich, but the form(s) of the carbon is unknown. Near-infrared spectra of the low-albedo hemisphere of Saturn's satellite Iapetus were obtained with the Visible-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) on the Cassini spacecraft at the fly-by of that satellite of 31 December 2004, yielding a maximum spatial resolution on the satellite's surface of ∼65 km. The spectral region 3-3.6 μm reveals a broad absorption band, centered at 3.29 μm, and concentrated in a region comprising about 15% of the low-albedo surface area. This is identified as the CH stretching mode vibration in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. Two weaker bands attributed to CH₂ stretching modes in aliphatic hydrocarbons are found in association with the aromatic band. The bands most likely arise from aromatic and aliphatic units in complex macromolecular carbonaceous material with a kerogen- or coal-like structure, similar to that in carbonaceous meteorites. VIMS spectra of Phoebe, encountered by Cassini on 11 June 2004, also show the aromatic hydrocarbon band, although somewhat weaker than on Iapetus. The origin of the PAH molecular material on these two satellites is unknown, but PAHs are found in carbonaceous meteorites, cometary dust particles, circumstellar dust, and interstellar dust.     

Constraints on dissipation in the deep interiors of Ganymede and Europa from tidal phase-lags

Jupiter’s satellites are subject to strong tidal forces which result in variations of the gravitational potential and deformations of the satellites’ surfaces on the diurnal tidal cycle. Such variations are described by the Love numbers \(k_2\) and \(h_2\) for the tide-induced potential variation due to internal mass redistribution and the radial surface displacement, respectively. The phase-lags \( \phi _{k_2}\) and \( \phi _{h_2}\) of these complex numbers contain information about the rheological and dissipative states of the satellites. Starting from interior structure models and assuming a Maxwell rheology to compute the tidal deformation, we calculate the phase-lags in application to Ganymede and Europa. For both satellites we assume a decoupling of the outer ice-shell from the deep interior by a liquid subsurface water ocean. We show that, in this case, the phase-lag difference \(\varDelta \phi = \phi _{k_2}- \phi _{h_2}\) can provide information on the rheological and thermal state of the deep interiors if the viscosities of the deeper layers are small. In case of Ganymede, phase-lag differences can reach values of a few degrees for high-pressure ice viscosities \({<}10^{14}\) Pa s and would indicate a highly dissipative state of the deep interior. In this case \(\varDelta \phi \) is dominated by dissipation in the high-pressure ice layer rather than dissipation within the ice-I shell. These phase lags would be detectable from spacecraft in orbit around the satellite. For Europa \(\varDelta \phi \) could reach values exceeding \(20^\circ \) and phase-lag measurements could help distinguish between (1) a hot dissipative silicate mantle which would in thermal equilibrium correspond to a very thin outer ice-I shell and (2) a cold deep interior implying that dissipation would mainly occur in a thick (several tens of km) outer ice-I shell. These measurements are highly relevant for ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) and NASA’s Europa Multiple Flyby Mission, both targeted for the Jupiter system.     

The spatial distribution of long lived gas clouds emitted by satellites in the outer solar system

Simple models are presented for the spatial distribution of gases emitted by satellites in the outer solar system with emphasis on Io and Titan. The models, valid for long lived species in regions of space outside the gravitational zone of the parent satellite are applied to observed hydrogen and sodium clouds orbiting Jupiter and to an expected hydrogen cloud around Saturn.     

Synchronous spin-orbital resonance locking of large planetary satellites

A numerical investigation of the chaotic rotation of large planetary satellites before their synchronous spin-orbital resonance locking with regard to tidal friction is carried out. The rotational dynamics of seven large satellites greater than 1000 km in diameter and with known inertial parameters (Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto (J1–J4), Tethys (S3), Iapetus (S8), and Ariel (U1)) in the epoch of synchronous resonance locking is modeled. All of these satellites have a small dynamic asymmetry. The planar case is considered in which the satellite’s axis of rotation is orthogonal to the plane of orbit. The satellites possessing an initial rapid rotation pass through various resonant states during the tidal evolution. Here, the probability of their locking into these states exists. The numerical experiments presented in this paper have shown that, with a rather high arbitrariness in the choice of initial states, the satellites during the course of the tidal evolution of their rotational motion have passed without interruption through the regions of the 5: 2, 2: 1, and 3: 2 resonances in the phase space and are locked into the 1: 1 resonance. The estimate for the tidal deceleration time is obtained both theoretically and on the numerical experimental basis.     

High-Resolution 0.33-0.92 μm Spectra of Iapetus, Hyperion, Phoebe, Rhea, Dione, and D-Type Asteroids: How Are They Related?

New high-resolution spectra in the 0.33 to 0.92 μm range of Iapetus, Hyperion, Phoebe, Dione, Rhea, and three D-type asteroids were obtained on the Palomar 200-inch telescope and the double spectrograph. The spectra of Hyperion and the low-albedo hemisphere of Iapetus can both be closely matched by a simple model that is the linear admixture of the spectrum of a medium-sized, high-albedo icy saturnian satellite and D-type material. Our results support an exogenous origin to the dark material on Iapetus; furthermore, this material may share a common origin and a similar means of transport with material on the surface of Hyperion. The recently discovered retrograde satellites of Saturn (Gladman et al., Nature412, 163-166) may be the source of this material. The leading sides of Callisto and the Uranian satellites may be subjected to a similar alteration mechanism as that of Iapetus: accretion of low-albedo dust originating from outer retrograde satellites. Phoebe does not appear to be related to either Iapetus or Hyperion. Separate spectra of the two hemispheres of Phoebe show no identifiable global compositional differences.     

Implications from Galileo Observations on the Interior Structure and Chemistry of the Galilean Satellites

Data from the recent gravity measurements by the Galileo mission are used to construct wide ranges of interior structure and composition models for the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. These models show that mantle densities of Io and Europa are consistent with an olivine-dominated mineralogy with the ratios of Mg to Fe components depending on mantle temperature for Io and on ice shell thickness for Europa. The mantle density and composition depend relatively little on core composition. The size of the core is largely determined by the core's composition with core radius increasing with the concentration of a light component such as sulfur. For Io, the range of possible core sizes is between 38 and 53% of the satellite's radius. For Europa, there is also a substantial effect of the thickness of the ice layer which is varied between 120 and 170 km on the core size. Core sizes are between 10 and 45% of Europa's radius. The core size of Ganymede ranges between one-quarter and one-third of the surface radius depending on its sulfur content and the thickness of the ice shell. A subset of the Ganymede models is consistent with an olivine-dominated mantle mineralogy. The thickness of the silicate mantle above the core varies between 900 and 1100 km. The outermost ice shell is about 900 km in thickness and is further subdivided by pressure-induced phase transitions into ice I, ice III, ice V, and ice VI layers. Callisto should be differentiated, albeit incompletely. It is proposed that this satellite was never molten at a large scale but differentiated through the convective gradual unmixing of the ice and the metal/rock component. Bulk iron-to-silicon ratios Fe/Si calculated for the inner pair of satellites, Io and Europa, are less than the CI carbonaceous chondrite value of 1.7±0.1, whereas ratios for the outer pair, Ganymede and Callisto, cover a broad range above the chondritic value. Although the ratios are uncertain, in particular for Ganymede and Callisto, the values are sufficiently distinct to suggest a difference in composition between these two pairs of satellites. This may indicate a difference in iron-silicon fractionation during the formation of both classes of satellites in the protojovian nebula.     

Lunar occultation of Saturn. I. The diameters of Tethys,Dione, Rhea,Titan, and Iapetus

The diameters of Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan and Iapetus were determined from observations of their March 30, 1974, lunar occultations, made with the Mauna Kea 224 and 61 cm telescopes. Light curves were obtained simultaneously in four colors, and the difference between the time of occultation at the two telescopes provided a direct measurement of the slope of the lunar limb, found to be small in all cases. The satellite diameters were determined by least-squares fits of model occultation light curves to the data. In these fits the diameter and degree of limb darkening of the satellite are correlated variables, requiring the limb darkening to be specified before the diameter can be determined, or vice versa. However, for Titan the signal-to-noise ratio is sufficiently high to allow some assessment of the amount of limb darkening, which was found to be substantial. Titan's diameter must be at least 5800 km, much larger than the currently accepted value of 5000 km, making it the largest satellite in the solar system. This larger diameter implies a low mean density. For the other four satellites arguments are presented in favor of accepting the occultation diameters corresponding to limb darkened disks. Except for Titan, the lunar occultation diameters generally agree with previous diskmeter and radiometric determinations.     

Variations in the solar wind speed along the earth's orbit

Comparison of solar wind speed data obtained from the Pioneer 6 and 7 and Vela 3, 4, and 5 satellites from January 1969 through July 1970 has been undertaken. The distribution of measured speeds is similar for all satellites, despite wide separations along the Earth's orbit. For satellite separations (along the Earth's orbit) of 0.5 AU or less, the speeds measured by different satellites are closely correlated, i.e., it is usually possible to predict (to within ± 100 km sec^–1) the arrival of a particular solar wind speed at one satellite on the basis of earlier measurements at another. For separations larger than 1.0 AU it is usually not possible to make accurate predictions in this manner. This appears to be evidence that: (1) the boundary conditions on the coronal expansion at the base of the corona are a sensitive function of latitude and/or (2) the boundary conditions at any one point on the Sun evolve sufficiently in 4 days to alter significantly the speed of the wind at 1 AU.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Origin and evolution of the earth-moon system

The origin and evolution of the Earth-Moon system is studied by comparing it to the satellite systems of other planets. The normal structure of a system of secondary bodies orbiting around a central body depends essentially on the mass of the central body. The Earth with a mass intermediate between Uranus and Mars should have a normal satellite system that consists of about half a dozen satellites each with a mass of a fraction of a percent of the lunar mass. Hence, the Moon is not likely to have been generated in the environment of the Earth by a normal accretion process as is claimed by some authors.Capture of satellites is quite a common process as shown by the fact that there are six satellites in the solar system which, because they are retrograde, must have been captured. There is little doubt that the Moon is also a captured satellite, but its capture orbit and tidal evolution are still incompletely understood.The Earth and the Moon are likely to have been formed from planetesimals accreting in particle swarms in Kepler orbits (jet streams). This process leads to the formation of a cool lunar interior with an outer layer accreted at increasingly higher temperatures. The primeval Earth should similarly have formed with a cool inner core surrounded in this case by a very strongly heated outer core and with a mantle accreted slowly and with a low average temperature but with intense transient heating at each individual impact site.     

The control network of Iapetus

A control network of the Saturnian satellite Iapetus has been established photogrammetrically from pictures taken by the two Voyager spacecraft. Coordinates of 62 control points have been computed and listed; pixel measurements of these points were made on 14 Voyager 1 and 66 Voyager 2 pictures. Some of these points are identified on the preliminary U.S. Geological Survey map of Iapetus and many are identified by name. The Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 pictures covered limited regions of the satellite's surface and contained no overlapping areas. The longitude system on Iapetus is defined by the crater Almeric; the 276° meridian passes through the center of this crater. The obliquity of Iapetus has been measured as 0°.4 ± 1°.6. The mean radius of Iapetus has been determined as 718 ± 8 km.     

Application of spin-orbit theory to a class of orbit-orbit resonances: The case of Titan-Hyperion

The orbit-orbit interaction of two satellites of greatly unequal mass is studied under the condition that the more massive satellite moves in a circular (unperturbed) orbit that lies entirely inside the orbit of the smaller (perturbed) body. It is shown that this system is equivalent in every respect to a special case ofspin-orbit coupling. On this basis, conditions for resonance are derived, as well as libration periods and bandwidths. Application is made to Saturn's resonant pair of satellites, Titan and Hyperion, which approximate the conditions of this problem. The calculated libration period of 646 days is in reasonably good agreement with the observed 640-day period.Most of this work was done at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, during the summer of 1974.     

The topography of Iapetus' leading side

We have used Cassini stereo images to study the topography of Iapetus' leading side. A terrain model derived at resolutions of 4-8 km reveals that Iapetus has substantial topography with heights in the range of −10 km to +13 km, much more than observed on the other middle-sized satellites of Saturn so far. Most of the topography is older than 4 Ga [Neukum, G., Wagner, R., Denk, T., Porco, C.C., 2005. Lunar Planet. Sci. XXXVI. Abstract 2034] which implies that Iapetus must have had a thick lithosphere early in its history to support this topography. Models of lithospheric deflection by topographic loads provide an estimate of the required elastic thickness in the range of 50-100 km. Iapetus' prominent equatorial ridge [Porco, C.C., and 34 colleagues, 2005. Science 307, 1237-1242] reaches widths of 70 km and heights of up to 13 km from their base within the modeled area. The morphology of the ridge suggests an endogenous origin rather than a formation by collisional accretion of a ring remnant [Ip, W.-H., 2006. Geophys. Res. Lett. 33, doi:10.1029/2005GL025386. L16203]. The transition from simple to complex central peak craters on Iapetus occurs at diameters of 11±3 km. The central peaks have pronounced conical shapes with flanking slopes of typically 11° and heights that can rise above the surrounding plains. Crater depths seem to be systematically lower on Iapetus than on similarly sized Rhea, which if true, may be related to more pronounced crater-wall slumping (which widens the craters) on Iapetus than on Rhea. There are seven large impact basins with complex morphologies including central peak massifs and terraced walls, the largest one reaches 800 km in diameter and has rim topography of up to 10 km. Generally, no rings are observed with the basins consistent with a thick lithosphere but still thin enough to allow for viscous relaxation of the basin floors, which is inferred from crater depth-to-diameter measurements. In particular, a 400-km basin shows up-domed floor topography which is suggestive of viscous relaxation. A model of complex crater formation with a viscoplastic (Bingham) rheology [Melosh, H.J., 1989. Impact Cratering. Oxford Univ. Press, New York] of the impact-shocked icy material provides an estimate of the effective cohesion/viscosity at . The local distribution of bright and dark material on the surface of Iapetus is largely controlled by topography and consistent with the dark material being a sublimation lag deposit originating from a bright icy substrate mixed with the dark components, but frost deposits are possible as well.     

Investigation of energetic proton penetration in Titan's atmosphere using the Cassini INCA instrument

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, provides an interesting opportunity to study how dense atmospheres interact with the surrounding plasma environment. Without an intrinsic magnetic field, this satellite's nitrogen-rich atmosphere is relatively unprotected from plasma interactions. Therefore, the energy-deposition rate is important for understanding chemistry and dynamics in Titan's atmosphere. Since the plasma environment can vary significantly we focus here on the T18 Titan encounter using in-situ data from instruments on board the Cassini spacecraft. These instruments cannot provide in-situ information below the spacecraft closest approach altitude (∼>960 km) so we use the Cassini magnetospheric imaging instrument (MIMI) ion-neutral camera (INCA) to remotely image energetic hydrogen particle fluxes (20-80 keV) at altitudes below Titan closest approach. We also use the MIMI low-energy magnetosphere measurements system (LEMMS) to measure the incident ion fluxes as the spacecraft approaches Titan and combine these data sets with an atmospheric model to first reproduce INCA images. We then use this model to calculate the energy-deposition profiles for the observed incident proton flux. Our model is able to reproduce the INCA observations and give the energy density deposited vs. altitude in Titan's atmosphere; however, we find that the incident fluxes and energy-deposition profiles vary significantly during the encounter.     

Orientation and resonance locks for satellites in the elliptic orbit

In order to achieve the maximum strength of higher resonance locks for satellites in the elliptic orbit, the condition of satellite orientation during the process of deployment is established. It is shown that for maximum strength locks the axis of the minimum moment of inertia of satellites should point toward the attracting body at ±(5/8) and 0 values of the true anomalyf. This condition of deployment is applicable to all cases of resonance rotation regardless of the value of lock numberk and orbit eccentricitye.