PHYC 2451 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Galilean Moons, Tidal Heating, Tidal Locking
23 Dec 2015
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Nature of the galilean satellites: the four galilean satellites orbit jupiter in the plane of its equator. All are in synchronous rotation: the orbital periods of the three innermost galilean satellites, io, europa, and ganymede, are in the ratio 1:2:4. This forms an orbital resonance: the two innermost galilean satellites, io and europa, have roughly the same size and density as our moon. The two outermost galilean satellites, ganymede and callisto, are roughly the size of mercury. Io is covered with a colorful layer of sulfur compounds deposited by frequent explosive eruptions from volcanic vents. These eruptions resemble terrestrial geysers: the energy to heat lo"s interior and produce the satellite"s volcanic activity comes from tidal forces that flex the satellite. Europa: while composed primarily of rock, europa is covered with a smooth layer of water-ice: the surface has hardly any craters, indicating a geologically active history.
