Dynamic reorientation of tidally locked bodies: Application to Pluto

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11320%2F23%3A10466955" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11320/23:10466955 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=QD4jC16wt8" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=QD4jC16wt8</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118270" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118270</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Dynamic reorientation of tidally locked bodies: Application to Pluto

Original language description

Planets and moons reorient in space due to mass redistribution associated with various types of internal and external processes. While the equilibrium orientation of a tidally locked body is well understood, much less explored are the dynamics of the reorientation process (or true polar wander, TPW, used here for the motion of either the rotation or the tidal pole). TPW dynamics can be non-trivial and are important for predicting the patterns of TPW-induced surface fractures, as well as for assessing whether enough time has passed for the equilibrium orientation to be reached. The only existing and relatively complex numerical method for an accurate evaluation of the reorientation dynamics of a tidally locked body was described in a series of papers by Hu et al. (2017a,b, 2019). Here we demonstrate that an identical solution can be obtained with a simpler approach, denoted as o &amp; omega;||mMIA, because during TPW the tidal and the rotation axes closely follow respectively the minor and the major axes of the total, time-evolving inertia tensor of the body. Motivated by the presumed reorientation of Pluto, the use of the o &amp; omega;||mMIA method is illustrated on several test examples. In particular, we vary the load sign and the mass of the host body and analyze whether TPW paths are curved or straight. When tidal forcing is relatively small, the paths of negative anomalies (e.g. basins) towards the rotation pole are highly curved, while positive loads may reach the sub-or anti-host point straightforwardly. The obtained behavior is explained by the relative timing of longitudinal and latitudinal reorientation. Our results suggest that the Sputnik Planitia basin cannot be a negative anomaly at present day, and that the remnant figure of Pluto must have formed prior to the reorientation. Finally, the presented method is complemented with an energy balance that can be used to test the numerical solution and to quantify the changes in orbital distance due to TPW. A new release of the custom written code LIOUSHELL that is used to perform the simulations is made freely available on GitHub.&amp; COPY; 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10500 - Earth and related environmental sciences

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA22-20388S" target="_blank" >GA22-20388S: Evolving Ice Shells - processes shaping planetary ice shells inferred from numerical modelling</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2023

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

ISSN

0012-821X

e-ISSN

1385-013X

Volume of the periodical

617

Issue of the periodical within the volume

Neuveden

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

118270

UT code for WoS article

001032046400001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85163211205