Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service

· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· Electronic Refereed Journal Article (HTML)
· Full Refereed Journal Article (PDF/Postscript)
· arXiv e-print (arXiv:1205.4615)
· References in the article
· Citations to the Article (15) (Citation History)
· Refereed Citations to the Article
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
Impact Cratering on Mercury: Consequences for the Spin Evolution
Authors:
Correia, Alexandre C. M.; Laskar, Jacques
Affiliation:
AA(Department of Physics, I3N, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal ; ASD, IMCCE-CNRS UMR8028, Observatoire de Paris, UPMC, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France; ), AB(ASD, IMCCE-CNRS UMR8028, Observatoire de Paris, UPMC, 77 Av. Denfert-Rochereau, 75014 Paris, France)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 751, Issue 2, article id. L43, 5 pp. (2012). (ApJL Homepage)
Publication Date:
06/2012
Origin:
IOP
Astronomy Keywords:
minor planets, asteroids: general, planets and satellites: dynamical evolution and stability, planets and satellites: individual: Mercury
DOI:
10.1088/2041-8205/751/2/L43
Bibliographic Code:
2012ApJ...751L..43C

Abstract

Impact basins identified by Mariner 10 and Messenger flyby images provide us with a fossilized record of the impactor flux of asteroids on Mercury during the last stages of the early solar system. The distribution of these basins is not uniform across the surface and is consistent with a primordial synchronous rotation. By analyzing the size of the impacts, we derive a simple collisional model coherent with the observations. When combining it with the secular evolution of the spin of Mercury, we are able to reproduce the present 3/2 spin-orbit resonance (~50% of chances), as well as a primordial synchronous rotation. This result is robust with respect to variations in the dissipation and collisional models, or in the initial spin state of the planet.
Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Keywords (in text query field)
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints