Elsevier

Icarus

Volume 122, Issue 1, July 1996, Pages 153-165
Icarus

Regular Article
Formation of Phobos/Deimos Dust Rings

https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1996.0116Get rights and content

Abstract

We study the dynamical behavior of small dust particles ejected from martian satellites, taking into account the mass–velocity relation of ejecta estimated from laboratory measurements, and several kinds of perturbation forces on the particles. The combination of dynamical effects caused by Mars's oblateness with those of solar radiation pressure plays an important role in the formation of dust rings around Mars. From numerical simulations and analytical estimates for the orbital evolution of ring particles, we have found that dust rings with asymmetrical structure exist along the satellite's orbit; i.e., Phobos's dust ring has a thin disk-like shape whereas Deimos's is vertically extended. Typical masses of ring particles and their number density, respectively, are about 10−7 g and 10−9 m−3for Phobos dust rings and nearly 10−8 g and 10−8 m−3for Deimos dust rings.

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Cited by (31)

  • Lunar regolith and water ice escape due to micrometeorite bombardment

    2020, Icarus
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    Juhasz et al. (1993) have reported a dust halo around Mars, caused by the escaping dust particles from Phobos and Deimos. Ishimoto (1996) has discussed the possibility of formation of Phobos/Deimos dust rings. Krivov and Hamilton (1997) have shown the possibility of a dust belt existing around Mars, based on the particles escaping from its natural satellites.

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    The existence of dust particles orbiting around Mars was suggested by Soter (1971), and there have since been many theoretical predictions and many experimental attempts to discover Martian dust rings (Horanyi et al., 1990; Sasaki, 1999; Ishimoto and Mukai, 1994; Ishimoto, 1996; Hamilton, 1996; Krivov and Hamilton, 1997).

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