Title: Variations of Mars gravitational field and rotation due to seasonal CO<sub>2</sub> exchange
Abstract: About a quarter of the Martian atmospheric mass is exchanged between the atmosphere and the polar caps in the course of a Martian year: CO 2 condenses to form (or add to) the polar caps in winter and sublimes into the atmosphere in summer. This paper studies the effect of this CO 2 mass redistribution on Martian rotation and gravitational field. Two mechanisms are examined: (1) the waxing and waning of solid CO 2 in the polar caps and (2) the geographical distribution of gaseous CO 2 in the atmosphere. In particular, the net peak‐to‐peak changes in J 2 and J 3 over a Martian year are both found to be as much as ∼6×10 −9 . A simulation suggests that these changes may be detected by the upcoming Mars Observer under favorable but realistic conditions.
Publication Year: 1990
Publication Date: 1990-08-30
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 42
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