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Origin of Martian Moons from Binary Asteroid DissociationThe origin of the Martian moons Deimos and Phobos is controversial. A common hypothesis for their origin is that they are captured asteroids, but the moons show no signs of having been heated by passage through a (hypothetical) thick martian atmosphere, and the mechanism by which an asteroid in solar orbit could shed sufficient orbital energy to be captured into Mars orbit has not been previously elucidated. Since the discovery by the space probe Galileo that the asteroid Ida has a moon 'Dactyl', a significant number of asteroids have been discovered to have smaller asteroids in orbit about them. The existence of asteroid moons provides a mechanism for the capture of the Martian moons (and the small moons of the outer planets). When a binary asteroid makes a close approach to a planet, tidal forces can strip the moon from the asteroid. Depending on the phasing, either or both can then be captured. Clearly, the same process can be used to explain the origin of any of the small moons in the solar system.
Document ID
20020038729
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Preprint (Draft being sent to journal)
Authors
Landis, Geoffrey A.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH United States)
Lyons, Valerie J.
Date Acquired
August 29, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2001
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting
Location: Boston, MA
Country: United States
Start Date: February 14, 2001
End Date: February 19, 2001
Sponsors: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Funding Number(s)
PROJECT: RTOP 755-1A-11
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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