On a ring origin of the equatorial ridge of Iapetus |
On a ring origin of the equatorial ridge of Iapetus |
Guest_AlexBlackwell_* |
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Wing Ip just had an interesting Iapetus-related paper published in GRL.
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![]() Member ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 903 Joined: 30-January 05 Member No.: 162 ![]() |
I am thinking we aren't going to see an Iapetan style ridge structure on Pluto or Charon, unfortunately.
Wafts of the Plutonian atmosphere up to the top of it's Roche limit will probably disrupt ring formation. If that isn't enough, Pluto and Charon, due to their mass and proximity, will mutually disrupt each others ability to form an orderly ring system. Originating materials for a subsequent ring system will be perturbed enough to preclude their collapse to the Lapacian plane. Those materials will contact the surfaces of Pluto and Charon at random locations as their orbital eccenticities are bumped up by the mutual tidal effects of Pluto and Charon. We see such effects in the vicinity of earth's moon, and apparently around Venus. Mass ratios and seperations of Pluto and Charon are inhospitable to ring formation. Still plenty of interesting things for New Horizons to see though . . . . . |
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