CONSTRAINING SATURN'S CORE PROPERTIES BY A MEASUREMENT OF ITS MOMENT OF INERTIA-IMPLICATIONS TO THE CASSINI SOLSTICE MISSION
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 1567 (United States)
Knowledge of Saturn's axial moment of inertia can provide valuable information on its internal structure. We suggest that Saturn's angular momentum may be determined by the Solstice Mission (Cassini XXM) by measuring Saturn's pole precession rate and the Lense-Thirring acceleration on the spacecraft, and therefore put constraints on Saturn's moment of inertia. It is shown that Saturn's moment of inertia can change up to {approx}2% due to different core properties. However, a determination of Saturn's rotation rate is required to constrain its axial moment of inertia. A change of about seven minutes in rotation period leads to a similar uncertainty in the moment of inertia value as different core properties (mass, radius). A determination of Saturn's angular momentum and rotation period by the Solstice Mission could reveal important information on Saturn's internal structure, in particular, its core properties.
- OSTI ID:
- 21562571
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 735, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/735/1/L16; ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Design and Analysis of RTGs for CRAF and Cassini Missions
Design and Analysis of RTGs for CRAF and Cassini Missions; two copies - one dated 8/3/1990 and the other dated 11/8/1990.