The two faces of Iapetus

Details The two faces of Iapetus The two faces of Iapetus

Feb 1975

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1975icar...24..157m&link_type=abstract

Icarus, vol. 24, Feb. 1975, p. 157-171.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

18

Albedo, Astronomical Photometry, Iapetus, Light Curve, Optical Measurement, Brightness, Optical Reflection, Polar Caps, Radiation Measurement, Radiometers, Spatial Distribution, Surface Properties

Scientific paper

Radiometric and photometric observations of Iapetus are described, and a model is developed for the albedo distribution consistent with the visual light curves, color variations, and radiometric flux curve. The 20-micron infrared observations show that the radiometric variation differs by about 180 deg in phase from the visual light curve and has a peak-to-peak amplitude of about a factor of two, while the linear phase coefficient of the light curve varies, as the satellite rotates, from 0.028 to 0.068 mag/deg. Determination of the albedo distribution is described, and it is found to be characterized by a dark area covering most of the leading hemisphere, a bright trailing hemisphere, and a bright south polar cap. The radius is approximated as 800 to 850 km, and the mean geometric albedos for the light and dark faces are estimated as 0.35 and 0.07, respectively.

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