On the dust/gas tori of Phobos and Deimos

Journal Article · Tue May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i006p00857· OSTI ID:6785273

Ip, W H ^[1]; Banaskiewicz, M ^[2]

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1. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Aeronomie, Katlenburg-Lindau (West Germany)
2. Space Research Centre, Warsaw (Poland)

The dust and gas environment in the vicinity of the orbit of the Phobos moon is assessed using both theoretical methods and observations from previous missions to mars. It is found that a stable ring of dust particles with radii {approx} 100{mu}m could exist with a normal optical depth close to the upper limit determined from the Viking Orbiter 1 mission. The presence of a gas ring with neutral number density substantially higher than the hot atomic oxygen background is possibly only if the Phobos moon maintains a certain level of outgassing with Q{sub gas} > 10{sup 23} molec. s{sup {minus}1}. The narrow width ({approx} 400 km) and the strong plasma perturbations sometimes observed by the Phobos 2 spacecraft at crossings of the orbit of the Phobos moon are still a puzzle to be investigated by further data analysis.

• OSTI ID: 6785273
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA) Vol. 17:6; ISSN 0094-8276; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
COLLISIONS
DEGASSING
DUSTS
DYNAMICS
ENVIRONMENT
INTERACTIONS
MARS PLANET
MECHANICS
ORIGIN
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
PLANETS
RINGS
SATELLITES
SHOCK WAVES
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND