Rotation of Europa: Constraints from Terminator and Limb Positions

Details Rotation of Europa: Constraints from Terminator and Limb Positions Rotation of Europa: Constraints from Terminator and Limb Positions

Feb 1999

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999icar..137..341h&link_type=abstract

Icarus, Volume 137, Issue Icarus, pp. 341-347.

Computer Science

27

Scientific paper

Tidal torques on Europa due to Jupiter would tend to drive Europa's rotation to a rate slightly faster than synchronous, unless synchroneity is maintained by a permanent asymmetry in Europa's mass distribution. Moreover, global fracture patterns on Europa's surface, as well as the complex fine-scale tectonics revealed by Galileo high-resolution imagery, may be evidence of stress due to nonsynchronous rotation. A direct measurement of Europa's rotation rate is made from the positions of surface features relative to the terminator in a Galileo image and comparing the results with similar measurements of the positions of the same features relative to the terminator in a Voyager 2 image taken 17 years earlier. Any nonsynchronous rotation must be slower than a few tenths of a degree in 17 years (a complete rotation in >10^4 years) relative to the direction of Jupiter.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Rotation of Europa: Constraints from Terminator and Limb Positions 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 Rotation of Europa: Constraints from Terminator and Limb Positions, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rotation of Europa: Constraints from Terminator and Limb Positions will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-943803