Reports of Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program—1987 - Chapter 1 - Outer Planet Satellites and Rings

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Mack Lee

NASA Technical Memorandum 4041 compiles abstracts of reports produced by Principal Investigators from NASA’s Office of Space Science and Applications, Solar System Exploration Division, Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program, covering research completed during 1986. The publication summarizes significant accomplishments tied to funded grants and contracts, reflecting each investigator’s own reporting style rather than imposing editorial uniformity. Section 1 focuses on outer planet satellites, rings, and related dynamics, structures, optical properties, physical processes, and thermal evolution.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages601

Reading Time25 h 15 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

CHAPTER 1 - OUTER PLANET SATELLITES AND RINGS

Dynamics of Outer Planet Rings

A Re-examination of Radial Diffusion in Planetary Rings

Dynamics and Structure of Planetary Rings

Optical Depths and Equivalent Widths of the Uranian Epsilon Ring from the Voyager 2 Photopolarimeter

Dynamical Studies of Planetary Rings

Observational Studies of Saturn's Rings

Physical Processes in Planetary Rings

Speculative Histories of the Uranian Satellite System

Dynamics of Satellites, Asteroids, and Rings

Thermal and Dynamical Processes in the Evolution of Outer Planet Satellites

Small Satellites of Uranus

Satellites of Uranus: Shapes and Topography from Limb Coordinates

Shapes of Small Satellites from Limb Coordinates

Volatile Processes on Large Satellites of the Giant Planets

Cratering History of Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon

Vertical Relief of Martian Wrinkle Ridges: Implications for Internal Structure

Bombardment History of the Saturn System I: Spatial and Size-Frequency Distributions of Craters

Bombardment History of the Saturn System II: Catastrophic Fragmentation of Moons

CHAPTER 2 - COMETS AND ASTEROIDS

Comet Research

The Rotation of Halley's Comet

NASA Technical Memorandum 4041 NASA-TM-404119880017749 Reports of Planetary Geologyand Geophysics Program—1987 LIBRARY COPY JUNE 1988 088 LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTERLIBRARY,NASAHAMPTON,VIRG!NIA NASA Technical Memorandum 4041 Reports of Planetary Geologyand Geophysics Program—1987 NASA Ofice of Space Science and ApplicationsWasbington,D.C. National Aeronauticsand Space Administration FOREWORD This is a compilation of abstracts of reports from PrincipalInvestigators of NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications,Solar System Exploration Division,Planetary Geology and GeophysicsProgram. The purpose of this publication is to document in summary formresearch work conducted in this program over the past year(1986).Each report reflects significant accomplishments within the areaof the author's funded grant or contract. No attempt has been made to introduce editorial or stylisticuniformity;on the contrary,the style of each report is thatof the Principal Investigator and may best portray his research. Joseph Boyce Discipline ScientistPlanetary Geoscience Program CONTENTS Foreword ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………iii CHAPTER 1- OUTER PLANET SATELLITES AND RINGS Dynamics of Outer Planet Rings ……………………………………………………………………………3 L.W.Esposito,G.R. Stewart,T.G. Brophy,J.E.Colwell, and P.A.Yanamandra-Fisher A Re-examination of Radial Diffusion in Planetary Rings …………………5 G.R. Stewart Dynamics and Structure of Planetary Rings …………………………………………………6 R.G. French Optical Depths and Equivalent Widths of the Uranian Epsilon Ring from the Voyager 2 Photopolarimeter ………………………………………………………7 A.L.Graps,J.J.Lissauer, and M.R. Showalter Dynamical Studies of Planetary Rings …………………………………………………………………8 P.D.Nicholson Observational Studies of Saturn's Rings ……………………………………………………………………11 C.C. Porco Physical Processes in Planetary Rings ……………………………………………………………14 J.A. Burns Speculative Histories of the Uranian Satellite System ………………………17 S.J.Peale Dynamics of Satellites,Asteroids,and Rings…………………………………………18 S.F. Dermott Thermal and Dynamical Processes in the Evolution of Outer Planet Satellites …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………21 G. Schubert Smal1 Satellites of Uranus ………………………………………………………………………………………………………23 P.C. Thomas and J. Veverka Satellites of Uranus:Shapes and Topography from Limb Coordinates ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………25 P.C. Thomas Shapes of Smal1 Satellites from Limb Coordinates ………………………………………28 P.C. Thomas Volatile Processes on Large Satellites of the Giant Planets …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………31 J.I. Lunine Cratering History of Umbriel,Titania, and Oberon ……………………………………………34 J.B.Plescia Vertical Relief of Martian Wrinkle Ridges:Implications for Internal Structure ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………36 J.B.Plescia Bombardment History of the Saturn System I:Spatial and Size- Frequency Distributions of Craters ……………………………………………………………………………………38 S.W. Squyres,J.J.Lissauer, and W.K. Hartmann Bombardment History of the Saturn System II:Catastrophic Fragmentation of Moons …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………39 J.J.Lissauer and S.W. Squyres CHAPTER 2- COMETS AND ASTEROIDS Comet Research……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………43 F.L. Whipple The Rotation of Halley's Comet …………………………………………………………………………………………………46 S.J.Peale and J.Lissauer Cometary Physics and Dynamics ……………………………………………………………………………………47 P.R. Weissman Clathrates and Porosity in Cometary Nuclei ……………………………………………………………50 R. Smoluchowski and J.Green The Palomar Asteroid and Comet Survey(PACS),1982-1987 ……………………………52 C.S. Shoemaker and E.M. Shoemaker Meteoroid Environment Near the Earth-Moon System ……………………………………………55 Y. Nakamura and J. Oberst The Size Distribution of Asteroids from IRAS and the Martian Cratering Record……………………………………………………………………………

FAQs

What is NASA Technical Memorandum 4041 intended to do?

It compiles abstracts of reports from Principal Investigators within NASA’s Office of Space Science and Applications, Solar System Exploration Division, Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program, summarizing work conducted in 1986.

Does the publication standardize writing style across reports?

No editorial or stylistic uniformity is imposed; each abstract follows the style of its Principal Investigator, aiming to reflect the investigator’s research presentation.

What topics are covered in Chapter 1?

Chapter 1 addresses outer planet satellites and rings, including ring dynamics, ring structure, observational studies, physical processes, satellite-system histories, and thermal and dynamical evolution.

Sep 18, 2026

Uploaded by Mack Lee