Constraining lateral thickness variations in Ganymede with JUICE
D.L. Calliess (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
M. Rovira Navarro – Mentor (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
D. Dirkx – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
W. van der Wal – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Aerospace Engineering)
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Abstract
JUICE will measure tidally-induced variations in Ganymede's gravitational field with unprecedented accuracy. Previous research focused on studying tides with a spherically-symmetric interior allowing to constrain the mean shell thickness and subsurface ocean. The presence of lateral variations in the interior alters the tidal response and produces additional signals. This research investigates whether JUICE measurements will be precise enough to constrain possible lateral variations in Ganymede. The structure of Ganymede's ice shell is crucial to the question of habitability, since it influences the process of tidal heating and the transport of heat and material in the interior. This research uses simulated range and Doppler observations during JUICE's orbital phase, to obtain the expected uncertainties in measuring the tides and compares them to the expected signals for a laterally heterogeneous Ganymede model. Results indicate that JUICE could detect zonal lateral variations of degree 1 and 2 if their amplitude is at least ~5%