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Transfer of mass from Io to Europa and beyond due to cometary impacts |
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| Authors: | José Luis Alvarellos Kevin J Zahnle Patrick Hamill |
| Institution: | a Space Systems/Loral, 3825 Fabian Way, MS G-76, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA b NASA Ames Research Center, MS 245-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA c UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA d Department of Physics, San José State University, San José, CA 95192, USA |
| Abstract: | We simulate the production and orbital evolution of escaping ejecta due to cometary impacts on Io. The model includes the four Galilean satellites, Amalthea, Thebe, Jupiter's gravitational moments, Saturn and the Sun. Five scenarios are examined: an impact at the apex, the sub-jovian point, the anti-jovian point, the antapex, and at the south pole of Io. We estimate that on average a cometary impact injects thrice its mass (in the form of Io surface material) into jovicentric orbit. The majority of the escaping debris comes back to Io, but a sizeable fraction (between 5.0 and 8.7%) manages to reach Europa, and a smaller fraction Ganymede (between 1.5 and 4.6%). Smaller fractions reached Amalthea Thebe, Callisto, and Jupiter itself. For million year time scales, the mass transfer to Europa is estimated as 1.8-3.1×1014 g/Myr. The median time for transfer of ejecta from Io to Europa is ∼56 years. |
| Keywords: | Io Europa Cratering Impact processes |
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