NASA-funded research explores tidal impacts on planetary and lunar interiors

These internal distortions, known as body tides, result from gravitational interactions between celestial bodies. For example, the intense gravitational pull of Jupiter on its moon Europa leads to significant deformations within Europa. As the moon's elliptical orbit brings it closer to Jupiter, the gravitational force intensifies, causing periodic compressions that generate internal heat. This process enables Europa to maintain a subsurface ocean beneath its frozen crust.

"The same phenomenon applies to Saturn's moon Enceladus," explained co-author Alexander Berne of CalTech in Pasadena and an affiliate of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. "Enceladus has an ice shell that is likely far less spherically symmetric than that of Europa."

These tidal effects play a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of celestial bodies and could even influence their potential habitability, as seen with Europa and Enceladus. This new research allows for a more accurate assessment of how tidal forces impact planetary interiors.

Additionally, the findings offer insights for interpreting data collected by space missions targeting a wide range of celestial bodies, from Mercury and our Moon to the distant outer planets of our solar system.

Research Report:A Spectral Method to Compute the Tides of Laterally Heterogeneous Bodies