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Veeder, G. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Veeder, G. J..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Loki Patera: A Magma Sea Story

We consider Loki Patera on Io as the surface expression of a large uniform body of magma. Our model of the Loki magma sea is some 200 km across; larger than a lake but smaller than an ocean. The depth of the magma sea is unknown, but assumed to be deep enough that bottom effects can be ignored. Edge effects at the shore line can be ignored to first order for most of the interior area. In particular, we take the dark material within Loki Patera as a thin solidified lava crust whose hydrostatic shape follows Io's isostatic surface (approx. 1815 km radius of curvature). The dark surface of Loki appears to be very smooth on both regional and local (subresolution) scales. The thermal contrast between the low and high albedo areas within Loki is consistent with the observed global correlation. The composition of the model magma sea is basaltic and saturated with dissolved SO2 at depth. Its average, almost isothermal, temperature is at the liquidus for basalt. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Veeder, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Loki Patera as the Surface of a Magma Sea

Inspired by the finding of Schubert et al that Io's figure is consistent with a hydrostatic shape, we explore the consequences of modeling Loki Patera as the surface of a large magma sea. This model is attractive because of its sheer simplicity and its usefulness in interpreting and predicting observations. Here, we report on that work.

Matson, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Polar Heat Flow on Io

Recently, Galileo spacecraft data have revealed Io's polar regions to be much warmer than previously expected. This unexpected development came from Photo-Polarimeter Radiometer (PPR) data which show that the minimum night temperatures are in the range of 90-95 K virtually everywhere on Io. The minimum night temperatures show no dependence upon latitude and, when away from the sunset terminator, they show no dependence upon time of night. This is indeed bizarre behavior for surface units which generally had been assumed to be passive with respect to Io's pervasive volcanism. Night temperatures of 90-95 K at high, polar latitudes are particularly hard to explain. Even assuming infinite thermal inertia, at these latitudes there is insufficient sunlight to support these warm night temperatures. Thus, through the process of elimination of other possibilities, we come to the conclusion that these surfaces are volcanically heated. Taking previously passive units and turning them into new sources of heat flow is a radical departure from previous thermophysical model paradigms. However, the geological interpretation is straight forward. We are simply seeing the effect of old, cool lava flows which cover most of the surface of Io but yet have some heat to radiate. Under these new constraints, we have taken on the challenge of formulating a physical model which quantitatively reproduces all of the observations of Io's thermal emission. In the following we introduce a new parametric model which suffices to identify a previously unrecognized polar component of Io's heat flow.

Veeder, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Lava Flows on Io: Modelling Cooling After Solidification

We have modeled the cooling of lava bodies on Io after solidification of the lava, a process that has been little explored since Carr (1986). With recent estimates of lava flow thicknesses on Io ranging from 1 m to 10 m, the modeling of thermal emission from active volcanism must take into account the cooling behaviour after the solidification of the lava, which we model using a finite-element model. Once a lava body is fully solidified, the surface temperature decreases faster, as heat loss is no longer buffered by release of latent heat. This is significant as observed surface temperature is often the only clue available to determine lava surface age. We also find that cooling from the base of the lava is an important process that accelerates the solidification of a flow and therefore subsequent cooling. It is necessary to constrain the cooling process in order to better understand temperature-area relationships on Io's surface and to carry out stochastic modelling of lava flow emplacement.

Davies, A. G.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Mystery of Io's Warm Polar Regions: Implications for Heat Flow

Unexpectedly warm polar temperatures further support the idea that Io is covered virtually everywhere by cooling lava flows. This implies a new heat flow component. Io's heat flow remains constrained between a lower bound of (approximately) 2.5 W m(exp -2) and an upper bound of (approximately) 13 W m(exp -2). Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Matson, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Io: Heat Flow and Surface Age

Assuming Io is completely resurfaced with volcanics, ages to surface units on Io can be assigned as a function of temperature. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Matson, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Myriads of Small, Hot Eruptions on Io

Should events such as the Tvashar fire fountain be expected? Examination of the Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) C3 data set shows that the chances of observing some level of active volcanism in any given area covering at least 135 km(exp 2) is quite reasonable.

Blaney, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Identification of water ice on the Centaur 1997 CU26

Spectra of the Centaur 1997 CU26 were obtained at the Keck Observatory on 27 October 1997 (universal time). The data show strong absorptions at 1.52 and 2.03 micrometers attributable to water ice on the surface of 1997 CU26. The reflectance spectrum of 1997 CU26 is matched by the spectrum of a mixture of low-temperature, particulate water ice and spectrally featureless but otherwise red-colored material. Water ice dominates the spectrum of 1997 CU26, whereas methane or methane-like hydrocarbons apparently dominate the spectrum of the Kuiper belt object 1993 SC, perhaps indicating different origins, thermal histories, or both for these two objects.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS1997

Surface composition of Kuiper belt object 1993SC

The 1.42- to 2.40-micrometer spectrum of Kuiper belt object 1993SC was measured at the Keck Observatory in October 1996. It shows a strongly red continuum reflectance and several prominent infrared absorption features. The strongest absorptions in 1993SC's spectrum occur near 1.62, 1.79, 1.95, 2.20, and 2.32 micrometers in wavelength. Features near the same wavelengths in the spectra of Pluto and Neptune's satellite Triton are due to CH4 on their surfaces, suggesting the presence of a simple hydrocarbon ice such as CH4, C2H6, C2H4, or C2H2 on 1993SC. In addition, the red continuum reflectance of 1993SC suggests the presence of more complex hydrocarbons.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS1993

A decade's overview of Io's volcanic activity

Over the past decade some aspects of Io's volcanic activity have changed greatly, while others have essentially remained constant. This contrast has emerged from our study of multi-wavelength, infrared, observations of Io's thermal emission. From 1983 to 1992 we observed the disk integrated flux density of Io from the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Our spectral coverage allows us to separate out the emission components due to volcanic thermal anomalies which are warmer than the background emission caused by solar heating. Our temporal coverage allows us to resolve individual eruptions and also to obtain the disk-integrated flux density as a function of longitude (or, equivalently, orbital phase angle). Characteristics that persisted over the decade involve Loki's location and intensity of emission, the leading hemisphere emission, and the average heat flow. The variable aspects of Io over the decade include Loki's hotter area(s) and the outbursts in the leading hemisphere.

Matson, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1993

IMPS albedo and diameter for Asteroid 243 Ida

243 Ida is the second asteroid target of the Galileo mission. The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) detected Ida several times during its 1983 sky survey. The IRAS Minor Planet Survey (IMPS) yields a total of 13 usable observations during 6 sightings of Ida. These data result in a geometric visual albedo of 0.24 and a mean diameter of 28 km for Ida. The IMPS catalog updates and extends the IRAS Asteroid and Comet Survey through asteroid number 4679. File versions of IMPS final products will be available from the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC). The input for IMPS processing includes updated visual absolute magnitudes and orbital elements for each asteroid. H and G are 9.94 and 0.15 for Ida. IMPS also includes a correction for low flux densities (less than approximately 1 Jansky). In the case of Ida, 3 observations at 12 microns, 6 at 25 microns, and 4 at 60 microns were considered acceptable for analysis. Most of these do have flux densities less than 1 Jansky with a value of approximately 5 for their estimated SNR. The 25 microns observations as plotted in the figure are consistent with the variation expected for the cross section of Ida with rotation. Ida is a main belt asteroid with an S taxonomic classification. The spectra of S asteroids tend to be dominated by pyroxene with visual albedos from 0.1 to 0.3. The IMPS average albedo of 0.24 (plus or minus 0.07) for 243 Ida is in the upper range observed for S asteroids.

Veeder, G. J.↗