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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS, VOL. 33, L16203, doi:10.1029/2005GL025386, 2006

On a ring origin of the equatorial ridge of Iapetus

W.-H. Ip

Institutes of Astronomy and Space Science, National Central University, Chung Li, Taiwan


Abstract

Most recent Cassini observations by the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) showed that the third largest Saturnian satellite, Iapetus, has a curious ridge system exactly aligned with its equator [Porco et al., 2005]. Because Iapetus has a large Hill sphere for the trapping of circum-satellitary material, a ring system might have been present during its formation. A scenario is proposed to describe how the equatorial ridge system could have been produced by the collisional accretion of a ring remnant subsequent to the formation of the proto-Iapetus.

Received 2 December 2005; accepted 20 July 2006; published 29 August 2006.

Index Terms: 6280 Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Saturnian satellites; 5465 Planetary Sciences: Solid Surface Planets: Rings and dust; 5744 Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets: Orbital and rotational dynamics (1221); 6025 Planetary Sciences: Comets and Small Bodies: Interactions with solar wind plasma and fields.

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Citation: Ip, W.-H. (2006), On a ring origin of the equatorial ridge of Iapetus, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L16203, doi:10.1029/2005GL025386.