Physics
Scientific paper
Mar 1998
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1998aps..tss...c02c&link_type=abstract
American Physical Society, 1998 Texas Section Spring Meeting, 19-21 March 1998 San Antonio, Texas, abstract #C.02
Physics
Scientific paper
A numerical model is developed in an attempt to explain the retrograde rotation of the planet Venus. The rotation rate of Venus is not only in a direction opposite to its orbital motion, but is also extremely slow, with a sidereal period of 243 Earth-days. The rotation axis makes an angle of 177^o with the perpendicular to the orbital plane, compared with 231/2^o for Earth. The nature of Venus' retrograde rotation is not clearly understood, but is believed to include a major impact by a large body early in the evolution of the planet. A numerical solution to the conservation of angular momentum equations is obtained which considers a major impact in two distinct cases with similar results: (i) a large reduction in the angular velocity past zero, and an eventual reversal of the direction of rotation, and (ii) a large net torque producing a flip of the axis of rotation, with an accompanying loss in angular velocity. The initial angular momentum vector is taken to be the same as Earth's early in the formation of the Solar System. The model parameters which are varied in the numerical experiment include the mass of the impacting body and its kinetic energy.
Castillo Raymundo Jr.
Gonzalez Omar Ariel
Homero Hinojosa Juan
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