Spectroscopic studies have been used in astronomy for a very long time and have many applications. A new paper describes how they can be used to determine the effect of tidal forces on the internal structure of celestial bodies.
New method for calculating tides
Scientists have developed a new method for calculating how tides affect the internal structure of planets and moons. It is important that the new study considers the effect of tides on objects that don’t have a perfectly spherical internal structure, which is an assumption of most previous models.
Body tides are deformations experienced by celestial bodies when they gravitationally interact with other objects. Consider how Jupiter’s powerful gravity attracts its moon Europa. Since Europa’s orbit is not circular, the crushing pressure of Jupiter’s gravity on the Moon changes as it moves along its orbit.
Saturn’s moons deformations
When Europa is closest to Jupiter, the planet’s gravity is felt the most. The energy of this deformation heats Europa’s interior, allowing an ocean of liquid water to exist beneath the moon’s icy surface.
“The same is true for Saturn’s moon Enceladus,” said study co-author Alexander Berne of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, which is affiliated with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Enceladus has an ice shell that is expected to be much more non-spherically symmetric than that of Europa.”
Value of the new study
The tides experienced by celestial bodies can affect the evolution of worlds over time, and in the case of Europa and Enceladus, their potential suitability for life, as we know it. A new study provides a more accurate assessment of how tidal forces affect the internal structure of planets.
The paper also discusses how the findings can help scientists interpret observations made by missions to different worlds ranging from Mercury, the Moon, and the outer planets of our Solar System.
Provided by phys.org
