Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agufm.p51a1118r&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2009, abstract #P51A-1118
Physics
[5418] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Heat Flow, [5475] Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets / Tectonics, [6221] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Europa, [6221] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Europa
Scientific paper
Fractures that penetrate more than halfway through a floating ice shell can encounter ambient temperatures at least 100K warmer than the surface. If all of the radiation emitted along the walls of a 10km-deep fracture escapes from the subsurface, the total emission could be as high as 106 W per map-view meter of crack. We present a model that allows cracks to transfer heat vertically through thermal emission of radiation from the crack walls and Lambertian scattering through the crack. We present the predicted temperature profiles at the surface in the neighborhood of the fracture and also the emission that an observer would see emanating from the fracture itself. We use results from Rudolph and Manga, Icarus 2009 to inform our choice of fracture geometry and depth. Preliminary calculations predict that a 1-m wide by 4 km-deep fracture on Enceladus could radiate about 300 W/m averaged over its first several years of opening. Although this effect may not be capable of explaining the exceptionally high heat flow from the south pole of Enceladus, it may be used to constrain the depth and geometry of young tensile fractures on an icy moon.
Manga Michael
Rudolph Maxwell L.
No associations
LandOfFree
Radiative transfer through cracks on icy moons - an observable transient phenomenon? 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 Radiative transfer through cracks on icy moons - an observable transient phenomenon?, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Radiative transfer through cracks on icy moons - an observable transient phenomenon? will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1773083