Tidal dissipation, orbital evolution, and the nature of Saturn's inner satellites

Details Tidal dissipation, orbital evolution, and the nature of Saturn's inner satellites Tidal dissipation, orbital evolution, and the nature of Saturn's inner satellites

Jul 1980

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1980icar...43...65p&link_type=abstract

Icarus, vol. 43, July 1980, p. 65-72.

Other

27

Natural Satellites, Orbital Elements, Planetary Evolution, Saturn (Planet), Space Exploration, Tides, Density Distribution, Eccentricity, Saturn, Satellites, Properties, Characteristics, Evolution, Orbits, Tidal Effects, Rigidity, Composition, Mimas, Dione, Photometry, Rhea, Density, Tethys, Enceladus, Eccentricity, Thermal History, Data, 1979 S2, Titan, Albedo

Scientific paper

Estimates of tidal damping times of the orbital eccentricities of Saturn's inner satellites place constraints on some satellite rigidities and dissipation functions Q. These constraints favor rock-like rather than ice-like properties for Mimas and probably Dione. Photometric and other observational data are consistent with relatively higher densities for these two satellites, but require lower densities for Tethys, Enceladus, and Rhea. This leads to a nonmonotonic density distribution for Saturn's inner satellites, apparently determined by different mass fractions of rocky materials. In spite of the consequences of tidal dissipation for the orbital eccentricity decay and implications for satellite compositions, tidal heating is not an important contributor to the thermal history of any Saturnian satellite.

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