1 / 22

Tides and Orbital Evolution

Tides and Orbital Evolution. Normal Satellite Orbital Evolution. Satellites normally develop circular orbits with synchronous rotation as a result of tidal forces. A circular/synchronous orbit creates a static tidal bulge, which in turn, renders the satellite geologically inactive.

kenyon-mccarty
Download Presentation

Tides and Orbital Evolution

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Tides and Orbital Evolution

  2. Normal Satellite Orbital Evolution Satellites normally develop circular orbits with synchronous rotation as a result of tidal forces. A circular/synchronous orbit creates a static tidal bulge, which in turn, renders the satellite geologically inactive.

  3. Geological Activity Geological activity is caused by tidal friction. Without rotational tides or radial tides to produce tidal friction, a satellite/planet becomes geologically inactive.

  4. Normal Satellite Orbital Evolution Satellites normally develop circular orbits with synchronous rotation as a result of tidal forces. A circular/synchronous orbit creates a static tidal bulge, which in turn, renders the satellite geologically inactive.

  5. Early Assumptions Satellites of low mass move into circular/synchronous orbits quickly. It was once thought that the Galilean Moons were in such an orbit. However, infrared observations of Io hinted at geological activity. Speculations were fueled by theories of orbital resonance.

  6. Forced/Free Eccentricity Free Forced Io .00001 .0041 Europa .00002 .00101 Ganymede .0015 .0006

More Related