Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.g52b..02g&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #G52B-02
Other
1221 Lunar And Planetary Geodesy And Gravity (5417, 5450, 5714, 5744, 6019, 6250 Moon (1221)
Scientific paper
We calculate the predicted principal moments of inertia for a satellite freezing in its deformation in a non-zero eccentricity orbit, with a spin-orbit resonance of synchronous or higher. The observed principal moments of inertia of the Moon differ from each other by a significant amount. To explain these large differences some have suggested the Moon may have frozen in a past deformation state when it was orbiting closer to the Earth and subject to stronger tidal and rotational forces. This theory has become known as the fossil bulge hypothesis. However, one problem with the fossil bulge hypothesis has been that the ratios of the three moments do not match predictions for a circular synchronously rotating Moon. We find that the lunar moments of inertia are in close agreement with a family of past high-eccentricity orbits. One of these orbits is a high eccentricity (e = 0.49) synchronous state, and two orbits are 3:2 spin-orbit resonances, where the Moon rotates three times every two orbit periods. We evaluate the plausibility of capture into 3:2 resonance during the first few million years of lunar history, when the outer portion of the Moon was likely liquid. We also consider the problem of transitioning from a 3:2 resonance into the currently observed synchronous state.
Garrick-Bethell Ian
Wisdom Jeffrey
Zuber Maria T.
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