Talk 2

Title:  Tidal Evolution and Spin-Orbit Dynamics: the Role of Material Properties

Speaker:  Clodoaldo Ragazzo

Affiliation: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 

Abstract:  Most satellites in the solar system have their rotation synchronized with their orbital motion about the host planet, a state known as a 1:1 spin-orbit resonance. This is often referred to as being tidally locked. Mercury, however,  rotates on its axis exactly three times for every two orbits it completes around the Sun, placing it in a stable 3:2 spin-orbit resonance. In this talk, we will present several new results concerning the influence of a body's material properties (rheology) on spin-orbit dynamics, particularly the mechanics of capture into these distinct resonances.