Improvement of the Mass Determination of Both Martian Moons Using MEX, MGS, ODY and MRO Tracking Data.

Details Improvement of the Mass Determination of Both Martian Moons Using MEX, MGS, ODY and MRO Tracking Data. Improvement of the Mass Determination of Both Martian Moons Using MEX, MGS, ODY and MRO Tracking Data.

Dec 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p41b1377r&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P41B-1377

Statistics

Applications

6200 Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects, 6230 Martian Satellites

Scientific paper

Two recent studies using X-band Doppler and range tracking data of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Odyssey (ODY) and Mars Express (MEX) have provided new solutions of the mass of both Martian moons. In this present study, we re-estimate these solutions by combining MGS, ODY and MEX tracking data over a longer time span, including the MEX-Phobos flyby at the closest approach distance of 273 km occurred on July 17th 2008 (see also the AGU presentation by Andert et al.). We used the GINS software, developed by CNES and further adapted at ROB for planetary geodesy applications, to compute the Precise Orbit Determination (POD) of each spacecraft, and to estimate a new GM value for both moons. We found a value of 7.15 +/- 0.02 105 m3/s2 and of 1.12 +/- 0.5 105 m3/s2 for Phobos and Deimos, respectively (uncertainty corresponds to 10 times the formal error). Our new values are in agreement with those estimated recently from the re- processing of the Viking flybys tracking data, at a comparable precision (considering formal error) for Phobos, but at a poorer precision for Deimos, caused by the weaker signal-to-noise-ratio from this more distant moon. We also computed the bulk density of both moons using their volume estimate and associated uncertainty (Thomas, et al., Icarus, 105, p. 326, 1993). We found values of 1860 +/- 60 kg/m3 and 1650 +/- 300 kg/m3 for Phobos and Deimos, respectively, which suggest substantial porosity inside these bodies (10 to 50 percent of the volume, depending on the chosen meteorite analog). New data sets from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) are now available, and may be used to further improve the mass determination. In addition, only MEX is able to perform close encounters with Phobos. Future encounters at distances as close as 100 km will allow the estimation of the second-order gravity field coefficients of Phobos, which may be used as a constraint on the internal mass distribution.

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