A High-precision Dynamical Model of Callisto: Incorporating Rotation Effects within Multilayer Internal Structure Models

• Published in: The Astrophysical Journal
• Main Authors: Kai Huang, Yongzhang Yang, Yuhao Chen, Yining Zhang, Yuqiang Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
• Subjects: Celestial mechanics; Astrometry; Ephemerides; Natural satellite dynamics; Jovian satellites; Galilean satellites
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adfe65

China is planning to launch the “Tianwen-4” mission around the year 2030, with its aim being the exploration of Jupiter and its moon, Callisto. Within the realm of deep space exploration, the accuracy of ephemerides is of great importance. Current ephemerides employ a simplified rotation model for Callisto, which this study addresses by proposing a novel dynamical model. This model enhances the existing orbital dynamics by integrating Callisto’s rotational motions influenced by gravitational torques from the Sun, Jupiter, and other Galilean moons within an inertial frame, capturing the intricate coupling between Callisto’s orbital and rotational dynamics. The study establishes a full dynamical model by deriving analytical expressions for this coupling and developing an adjustment model for data fitting using precise orbit determination methods. Furthermore, the influence of tidal effects on Callisto’s motion is investigated, considering its multilayered internal structure. Results demonstrate that the difference between the newly established full model and the model in current ephemerides is on the order of tens of meters. When calculating the impact of different internal structures of Callisto on its orbit, the influence of three-layered and two-layered structures is on the order of meters, suggesting that the development of a high-precision dynamical model requires additional constraints on the internal structure of Callisto. This research provides a novel alternative for a new generation of precise numerical ephemerides for Callisto. Additionally, these findings provide a testing platform for the data from the “Tianwen-4” mission.