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rieman zeta
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How does one compute the tidal locking radius of say a planet on a putative moon its area?
Is there a formula?
rieman zeta
Is there a formula?
rieman zeta
Both you and Geoffrey have rightly commented on my poorly-defined
variables, so let me re-state this. BTW, I'm cribbing this formula (very
slightly modified) from somewhere else, namely Burn's chapter in
"Satellites" (U of Az Press), edited by Burns & Mathews:
T = 16 rho omega a^6 (Q/k2) / ( 45 G M^2 )
rho = density of body being despun [kg/m^3]
omega = inital rotation rate of body being despun [rad/s]
= 2 pi / P, where P is the inital rotation rate
a = semi-major axis of orbit [m]
Q/k2 = dissipation function divided by the 2nd order Love #
M = mass of body doing the despinning [kg]
I hope this is clearer - I've taken the formula for the despinning
timescale out of Burn's chapter and modified it very slightly.
Tidal locking radius is the distance from a planet or moon to its primary body at which the gravitational forces between the two objects cause the rotation of the smaller body to synchronize with its orbit around the larger body.
Tidal locking radius is calculated using the formula R = (2 * GM * T^2) / (4 * π^2), where R is the tidal locking radius, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the larger body, and T is the orbital period of the smaller body.
Tidal locking is important because it affects the rotation and orbit of a planet or moon, which can have significant impacts on its climate, geology, and potential for sustaining life.
Yes, tidal locking can occur between any two objects in space, as long as they have a gravitational pull on each other and one of the objects is significantly larger than the other.
Tidal locking can affect the habitability of a planet or moon by creating extreme temperature differences between the light and dark sides, as well as causing more frequent and severe tidal forces that can impact the planet's surface and potentially disrupt the development of life.