Mystery of Callisto: Is it undifferentiated?

  • William B. McKinnon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Galileo-determined moment-of-inertia factor for Callisto of 0.406 ± 0.039 (1σ) is consistent with only a small amount of ice-rock differentiation (<10%), because the moment-of-inertia for a totally undifferentiated Callisto is 0.38 (not 0.40). The apparently high value for the moment-of-inertia may include nonhydrostatic contributions originating in Callisto's lithosphere. The anhydrous rock/(rock + water-ice) mass ratio for Callisto is ≈0.45, close to the theoretically predicted value of ≈0.40.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)540-543
Number of pages4
JournalIcarus
Volume130
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1997

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