Distributions of Craters on the Icy Satellites of Saturn and Jupiter

Details Distributions of Craters on the Icy Satellites of Saturn and Jupiter Distributions of Craters on the Icy Satellites of Saturn and Jupiter

Sep 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dps....41.3804l&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #38.04

Statistics

Scientific paper

Introduction. We are looking for longitudinal asymmetry of crater density on the icy satellites. Seven satellites are considered. All of them: (i) Are tectonically non-active; (ii) Have predominantly water ice on their uppermost layers. So, the surfaces are mechanically similar and therefore their responses for an impact ought to be similar, provide impactor energy and incident angle are the same. Moreover: (iii) Six of these satellites have spent almost all their life rotating synchronously with revolution (Iapetus is, possibly, an exception).
Craters’ statistics. Satellites surfaces are divided for 8 meridianal sectors, 45° each. The meridian 0° is planet-facing. The sectors are divided by the parallels onto curvilinear rectangles. The rectangles considered farther are of the near-equatorial belt from 30°S to 30°N (for Mimas) and narrower (other satellites). The craters are counted in some of the rectangles, namely in these presented in the best maps available in the internet pages. Total number of craters considered is a few dozens of thousands. Four bins of the craters’ size are considered for each satellite. Due to different scales of the maps the bins’ limits are different for each satellite. Only craters with visible full circumference are counted for avoid overlapping.
Row results are presented on a set of diagrams: (i) (Crater density) and (ii) (Fraction of the surface occupied by craters) versus (Satelitographical longitude). To make results more reliable statistics of the craters ought to be done on a larger fraction of the surfaces.
Conclusions. It was found that Mimas, Dione, Rhea, and Iapetus are cratered more intense on their far side than in the near side. (Far side of Mimas is cratered almost twice as much as the near side.) Preliminary explanation: For the excess of crater density on the far side the interplanetary impactors approaching Saturnian system from outside are responsible.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Distributions of Craters on the Icy Satellites of Saturn and Jupiter does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Distributions of Craters on the Icy Satellites of Saturn and Jupiter, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Distributions of Craters on the Icy Satellites of Saturn and Jupiter will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1333215