Abstract
Saturn is orbited by a half dozen ice rich middle-sized moons (MSMs) of diverse geology and composition. These comprise ∼4.4% of Saturn's satellite mass; the rest is Titan, more massive per planet than Jupiter's satellites combined. Jupiter has no MSMs. Disk-based models to explain these differences exist, but have various challenges and assumptions. We introduce the hypothesis that Saturn originally had a 'galilean' system of moons comparable to Jupiter's, that collided and merged, ultimately forming Titan. Mergers liberate ice-rich spiral arms in our simulations, that self-gravitate into escaping clumps resembling Saturn's MSMs in size and compositional diversity. We reason that MSMs were spawned in a few such collisional mergers around Saturn, while Jupiter's original satellites stayed locked in resonance.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 544-565 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Icarus |
| Volume | 223 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2013 |
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Keywords
- Enceladus
- Moon
- Moons
- Saturn, satellites
- Titan
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Space and Planetary Science
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Cite this
Late origin of the Saturn system. / Asphaug, Erik; Reufer, Andreas.
In: Icarus, Vol. 223, No. 1, 03.2013, p. 544-565.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Late origin of the Saturn system
AU - Asphaug, Erik
AU - Reufer, Andreas
PY - 2013/3
Y1 - 2013/3
N2 - Saturn is orbited by a half dozen ice rich middle-sized moons (MSMs) of diverse geology and composition. These comprise ∼4.4% of Saturn's satellite mass; the rest is Titan, more massive per planet than Jupiter's satellites combined. Jupiter has no MSMs. Disk-based models to explain these differences exist, but have various challenges and assumptions. We introduce the hypothesis that Saturn originally had a 'galilean' system of moons comparable to Jupiter's, that collided and merged, ultimately forming Titan. Mergers liberate ice-rich spiral arms in our simulations, that self-gravitate into escaping clumps resembling Saturn's MSMs in size and compositional diversity. We reason that MSMs were spawned in a few such collisional mergers around Saturn, while Jupiter's original satellites stayed locked in resonance.
AB - Saturn is orbited by a half dozen ice rich middle-sized moons (MSMs) of diverse geology and composition. These comprise ∼4.4% of Saturn's satellite mass; the rest is Titan, more massive per planet than Jupiter's satellites combined. Jupiter has no MSMs. Disk-based models to explain these differences exist, but have various challenges and assumptions. We introduce the hypothesis that Saturn originally had a 'galilean' system of moons comparable to Jupiter's, that collided and merged, ultimately forming Titan. Mergers liberate ice-rich spiral arms in our simulations, that self-gravitate into escaping clumps resembling Saturn's MSMs in size and compositional diversity. We reason that MSMs were spawned in a few such collisional mergers around Saturn, while Jupiter's original satellites stayed locked in resonance.
KW - Enceladus
KW - Moon
KW - Moons
KW - Saturn, satellites
KW - Titan
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873444492&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84873444492&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.icarus.2012.12.009
DO - 10.1016/j.icarus.2012.12.009
M3 - Article
VL - 223
SP - 544
EP - 565
JO - Icarus
JF - Icarus
SN - 0019-1035
IS - 1
ER -