Carbon Dioxide Transport on the Surface of Iapetus.

Details Carbon Dioxide Transport on the Surface of Iapetus. Carbon Dioxide Transport on the Surface of Iapetus.

Sep 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006dps....38.6908p&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #38, #69.08; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.622

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We evaluate the stability and transport of free CO2 in the form of frost on the surface of Iapetus. We created a model which calculates the thermal profile for the surface of Iapetus, the quantity of CO2 which sublimates, and the deposition of that CO2. The movement of the CO2 is based upon a truncated Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution for its velocity and a suborbital ballistic flight.
We found that CO2 is unstable in illuminated regions. It will sublimate and diffuse around the surface until it reaches a cold trap, such as the winter pole. Once there, the lifetime of a polar cap depends upon Iapetus's orbital inclination relative to the Sun. Iapetus has an orbital precessional period of 3,000 years during which its sub-solar latitude variation goes from its minimum of -4.3 to +4.3 degrees its maximum of -19.3 to +19.3 degrees. Thus, when Iapetus has a low inclination relative to the Sun, the poles provide an almost perfect cold trap with less than a few kg sublimating during an entire orbit. However, 1,500 year later, the higher inclination will cause larger amounts of CO2 to move between each pole.
Finally, we predict the size and shape of a theoretical polar cap on Iapetus's north pole. When Cassini makes its fly-by in September 2007, the north pole will be seeing its first sunlight in 14 years. If there is any CO2 on Iapetus, Cassini should be able to detect it then.

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