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Article Dans Une Revue The Planetary Science Journal Année : 2021

A Recipe for the Geophysical Exploration of Enceladus

Anton Ermakov
Ryan Park
Javier Roa
Julie Castillo-Rogez
James Keane
Francis Nimmo
Edwin Kite
Christophe Sotin
T. Joseph W. Lazio
  • Fonction : Auteur
Gregor Steinbrügge
Samuel Howell
Bruce Bills
Douglas Hemingway
Vishnu Viswanathan
Gabriel Tobie

Résumé

Orbital geophysical investigations of Enceladus are critical to understanding its energy budget. In this paper, we identified key science questions for the geophysical exploration of Enceladus, answering which would support future assessment of Enceladus' astrobiological potential. Using a Bayesian framework, we explored how science requirements map to measurement requirements. We performed mission simulations to study the sensitivity of single-spacecraft and dual-spacecraft configurations to static gravity and tidal Love numbers of Enceladus. We find that mapping Enceladus' gravity field, improving the accuracy of the physical libration amplitude, and measuring Enceladus' tidal response would provide critical constraints on the internal structure and establish a framework for assessing Enceladus' long-term habitability. This kind of investigation could be carried out as part of a life search mission at little additional resource requirements.

Dates et versions

hal-03468856 , version 1 (07-12-2021)

Identifiants

Citer

Anton Ermakov, Ryan Park, Javier Roa, Julie Castillo-Rogez, James Keane, et al.. A Recipe for the Geophysical Exploration of Enceladus. The Planetary Science Journal, 2021, 2 (4), pp.157. ⟨10.3847/PSJ/ac06d2⟩. ⟨hal-03468856⟩
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