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Revisiting the capture of Mercury into its 3:2 spin-orbit resonance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 January 2015

Benoît Noyelles ,
Julien Frouard ,
Valeri V. Makarov  and
Michael Efroimsky
Benoît Noyelles
Affiliation:
naXys, University of Namur, Belgium, email: benoit.noyelles@gmail.com
Julien Frouard
Affiliation:
CIERA, Northwestern University, Evanston IL 60208USA, email: frouard@imcce.fr
Valeri V. Makarov
Affiliation:
United States Naval Observatory, Washington DC 20392USA email: valeri.makarov@usno.navy.mil, michael.efroimsky@usno.navy.mil
Michael Efroimsky
Affiliation:
United States Naval Observatory, Washington DC 20392USA email: valeri.makarov@usno.navy.mil, michael.efroimsky@usno.navy.mil
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Abstract

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We simulate the despinning of Mercury, with or without a fluid core, and with a frequency-dependent tidal model employed. The tidal model incorporates the viscoelastic (Maxwell) rebound at low frequencies and a predominantly inelastic (Andrade) creep at higher frequencies. It is combined with a statistically relevant set of histories of Mercury's eccentricity. The tidal model has a dramatic influence on the behaviour of spin histories near spin-orbit resonances. The probabilities of capture into high-order resonances are greatly enhanced. Exploring several scenarios, we conclude that the present 3:2 spin state was achieved by entrapment of an initially prograde cold Mercury when its age was less than 20 Myr, i.e., well before differentiation.

Keywords

celestial mechanicsplanets and satellites: individual (Mercury)
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 9 , Issue S310: Complex Planetary Systems , July 2014 , pp. 33 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2014 

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