Constraints on the interior structure of Phobos from tidal deformation modeling

Abstract

Phobos is one of the two moons of Mars, the only other terrestrial planet to have companions. In spite of certain common orbital characteristics between Earth’s Moon and Phobos, such as almost circular, low-inclination, and synchronous orbits, the origin of the Martian moons remains to be understood. This unsettled state of affairs reflects a scarcity of data pertinent to its interior structure and bulk composition, both of which hold the key to solving the question of the provenance of the satellites. Drawing on the importance of interior structure as a means of providing further constraints on this problem, we construct a series of models of the interior of Phobos in accordance with current observations and determine their tidal deformation. The models include a homogeneous body, ice-rock mixtures, models with positive and negative density gradients, and layered models. To compute the deformation of Phobos precisely, we solve the three-dimensional elastostatic problem to obtain the full displacement field. For this, we rely on a higher-order spectral-element method and to account for a correct representation of shape and resulting displacement field, we accurately mesh the figure of Phobos by employing the digital terrain model of Willner et al. (2014). To enable us to further distinguish between models, we also rely on currently available geophysical data (e.g., magnitude of libration in longitude, mean density, gravity field, and moments of inertia). Our results show that the homogeneous, ice-rock mixture, and negative density gradient models are largely degenerate and therefore difficult to separate, but that models with a density increase with depth can be differentiated from the former model families. From a purely deformational point of view, we find that for positive gradient and layered models, the largest deformation occurs on the rim of the Stickney crater, rather than immediately at the sub-Mars point on Phobos, as in the case of the other models, where tidal forces are largest. These observations will be of considerable interest and should provide important anchoring points for the future exploration of Phobos as envisaged with the Martian Moons Exploration mission.