Abstract
We model ballistic transport of CO2 on the surface of Iapetus, accounting for gravitational binding energy and polar cold traps. We find that if CO2 is in the form of ice, it has a long enough residence time to be spectroscopically detected. We determine that at midlatitudes, CO2 is volatile, will rapidly ablate, and be sequestered in a polar cold trap. In addition, we find that due to the inclination of Iapetus's orbit, the poles provide only a temporary cold trap, requiring the CO2 to move to the opposite pole at the end of the winter season. During each transit, 5% of the CO2 will reach escape velocity and be lost from the system. Finally, we make a prediction of the latitudinal extent and thickness of a possible CO2 polar cap that could be detected during Cassini's 2007 September flyby of Iapetus.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.