Gravity measurements and elevation data from the Cassini mission have been used to create shape, global topography and gravity anomaly models of Titan that enable an improved understanding of its outer ice I shell structure. We provide constraints on the averaged ice shell thickness and its long-wavelength lateral variations, as well as the density of the subsurface ocean using gravity anomalies, the tidal Love number k2 measurement and long-wavelength topography. We found that Titan's surface topography is consistent with an approximate isostatically compensated ice shell of variable thickness, likely in a thermally conductive or in a subcritical convective state, overlying a relatively dense subsurface ocean.

Shape, topography, gravity anomalies and tidal deformation of Titan / Mitri, Giuseppe; Meriggiola, Rachele; Hayes, Alex; Lefevre, Axel; Tobie, Gabriel; Genova, Antonio; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Zebker, Howard. - In: ICARUS. - ISSN 0019-1035. - 236:(2014), pp. 169-177. [10.1016/j.icarus.2014.03.018]

Shape, topography, gravity anomalies and tidal deformation of Titan

Meriggiola, Rachele
Software
;
Genova, Antonio;
2014

Abstract

Gravity measurements and elevation data from the Cassini mission have been used to create shape, global topography and gravity anomaly models of Titan that enable an improved understanding of its outer ice I shell structure. We provide constraints on the averaged ice shell thickness and its long-wavelength lateral variations, as well as the density of the subsurface ocean using gravity anomalies, the tidal Love number k2 measurement and long-wavelength topography. We found that Titan's surface topography is consistent with an approximate isostatically compensated ice shell of variable thickness, likely in a thermally conductive or in a subcritical convective state, overlying a relatively dense subsurface ocean.
2014
titan; titan, interior; satellites, shapes; geophysics; interiors
01 Pubblicazione su rivista::01a Articolo in rivista
Shape, topography, gravity anomalies and tidal deformation of Titan / Mitri, Giuseppe; Meriggiola, Rachele; Hayes, Alex; Lefevre, Axel; Tobie, Gabriel; Genova, Antonio; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Zebker, Howard. - In: ICARUS. - ISSN 0019-1035. - 236:(2014), pp. 169-177. [10.1016/j.icarus.2014.03.018]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11573/1242414
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