Tidal dissipation effeciency

[vogon13]

I have noted that tidal effects between the earth and moon are manifest primarily in the familar ocean tides, and less familiarly, in dissipation of the (resonably) solid body of our planet.<br /><br />Also, that the tidal interaction between Jupiter and Io is manifested in dissipation in Jupiters atmosphere.<br /><br />I have been considering tidal interactions (non-mathematically, so far) between icy moons and their possible satellites.<br /><br />Recent spacecraft missions have shown small bodies around the solar system to be structured quite amazingly. Loosely compacted granular materials seem to be the favored model now. Such objects seem to be amazingly resilient to (large) impact damage. This really shows just how different their internal structure is.<br /><br />My question:<br /><br />How do tidal effects manifest themselves in such objects?<br /><br />Do they dissipate as easily as a gas or liquid? Are their porosities affected? Does flexing of the object reveal itself in any particular pattern in the surface we might examine? Do such objects rapidly evolve their orbits tidally when in proximity to other objects, or slowly? Are there any trends we might observe in tidally mature systems?<br /><br />Jes' curious!<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[newtonian]

vogon - Can you explain what you mean by tidal dissipation of solid earth, or tidal dissipation in Jupiter's atmosphere.<br /><br />I cannot respond until I understand what you are referring to!<br /><br />I do know that our moon is receeding slightly in its orbit around earth, though that should stop at an equilibrium point with earth - though earth's tidal interations with the sun and earth's axis of rotation tilt will complicate matters ever so slightly in the billions of years to come. <br /><br />I also know that Jupiter's atmosphere is in extremely rapid and complex motion.

 

[vogon13]

Go down to the beach an watch the water (on average, don't bother with the waves) rise and fall as the tides go 'in' and 'out'.<br /><br />The body of the earth rises and falls too (IIRC, about a meter) in response to the tidal effect of the moon (and sun too). <br /><br />The deflection of Jupiters atmosphere in response to Ionian effects is probably undetected to date, but it would occur too.<br /><br />Jupiters tidal effects on Io are so extreme as to have liquified Io's interior. The effieciency of this process is related to 'viscocity' (for lack of a better term).<br /><br />The rate at which earth's moon has receded from the earth is partially dependent, in fact, to the depth of the oceans and the configurations of the continents that distort the otherwise smooth 'piling' of the waters due to the tidal interaction. Continental drift!<br /><br />Earths rotation carries the 'tidal bulge' ahead (so to speak) of its location relative to where the moon is 'attempting' to place it. The differential gravity of this 'pulls' the moon ahead in its orbit, thus enlarging it (the orbit silly, not the moon) and 'braking' the length of the day.<br /><br />Please note: the angular momentum of the earth moon system is conserved during this process.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

Tidal interactions are now 'the hot topic' because so many objects may have been profoundly affected by them.<br /><br />Moon<br /><br />all the Galilean satellites<br /><br />Telesto, Polydueces, Hyperion, etc<br /><br />asteroidal satellites<br /><br />Charon and the 'boyz'<br /><br />Xena<br /><br />Triton<br /><br /><br />(you get the idea)<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>