SCIENTIST FOR A DAY AND THE CASSINI HUYGENS MISSION

MARACAIBO,VENEZUELA DECEMBER 12 ,2013

 

                                     SCIENTIST FOR A DAY 2013 CONTEST ESSAY

 

TEAM NAME: “BIG BANG THEORY EXPLORERS”

CATEGORY: 9-12 GRADERS

 

DEDICATED TO: The magnificent team of Tv actors(tresses) of the Warner tv program of the same name).

 

TEAM MEMBERS:                                             SCHOOL:

Luis Manuel Garcia Teran                                    Liceo Los Robles 

Maria Jose Garcia Teran                                       Altamira

Gabriel Moreno                                                     Apamates

Nay Valbuena   (Team Leader)                             Merici

Armando Gutierrez                                                Los Robles

Nestor Bohorquez  (Team Leader)                        Los Robles

Ernesto Gomez    (Team Leader)                           Los Robles

Emanuel Caridad                                                    Urbe San Onofre

Jose Vallejo                                                             Luz

Lermith Biarreta                                                     Los Robles

Maria Frnda Biarreta                                              Altamira

Arturo Negrette   (Team Leader)                            Los Robles

Josue Castro                                                            Feliciano Palacios

Yirrel Castro                                                           Feliciano Palacios Luz

Jonar Cubillan   (Team Leader)                                                      Luz

Jesus Perozo (Team Leader)                                   Los Robles

Manuel Villalobos                                                   Los Robles

Sath Peraza                                                               Los Robles

Barath Peraza                                                           Los Robles

Aria Matos                                                               Altamira

Miguel Bohorquez                                                   Los Robles URU

Andrea Fajardo  (Team Leader)                               Unefa

Estefany Angulo                                                       Unefa

Christian Barrera  (Team Leader)                             Los Robles

Ines Monteverde   (Team Leader)                             Altamira

Diego Nava                                                                Sta Mariana de Jesus 

   

ESSAY:

“ We as a group thought that Iapetus is the best target for photographic investigations assisted by Cassinis  instruments based in a few curious aspects that called our attention because its own particular characteristics, such the moon’s form, location, aspect and  geological history wich indicate there might be amazing forces in action. 

 

The origin of Iapetus’s dark zone (Cassini Regio) and its ecuador (toledo Montes)* according to the apparent exogen origin of the dark dust Iapetus in its past* attracts our attention because we read*it could be due to this moons orbit close to saturn wich provides it with posible  thermonuclear activity* plus the fact that its inclination was alredy present. This thermonuclear activity posibly made possible that its surface was more exposed to the gravitational activity of its own speed rotation faster compared to the actual speed rotation* posses so in theory*also  its approximation to the rings and the gravitational attraccion that these could cause to the surface might explain the formation of the Himalaya* on its own curious ecuatorial location. We read a theory* that in a distant past the closeness of iapetus to saturn and its outer ring caused its surface  plus the possible its own gravitational activity that could cause it* thanks to its posible active core*wich allows to add particules from saturn’s rings*. About the dark dust, we read  that Iapetus’s  past closer orbit to saturn could made possible a collition with any other defunct moons as well to other any other kind of celestial body, this impact might have  caused the estrangement of its orbit; we read* that in its possible original orbit the moon lost its atmosphere activity allowing the settlement of  particles from a possible past  impact* in one specific region, giving way to the known dark zone. the descent of the surface’s temperature gave way to the solidification of Toledo Montes*. It is possible  the dark dust was in the moon previous to the shining regions suggesting that the last, is a criogenisation process in the dust* not been completely covered maybe for the termic segregation phenomenon present in the dark dust, giving way to the “black spots” in the bright region*.

 

To analyze the “black spots” we suggest using photography combined with  (CIRS) to know the temperature and composition, proving the thermic segregation process in the bright region*, allowing to recreate  3D map of Iapetus to study the  structure of Toledo Montes.

 

Combinig photography with (VIMS) we could  study and analyze the nature of the particules that form the Toledo Montes.

And combining with (RADAR) we could create better detailed  maps of Iapetus’s surface. 

We really like it for both reasons: its craters and its  quality of black and white colors that make it look like the Death Star from StarWars.

 

In the seventeenth century, Giovanni Cassini observed that Iapetus could be seen when it was on one side of Saturn but not the other. He concluded that one of its hemispheres was darker than the other, which was then confirmed through images thanks to Voyager 1 (1981), and Cassini / Huygens closest approach on September 10, 2007.*

 

Combining photography with Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) to observe the differentiation of the hemispheres, the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) for spectrographic and scanning profile of the composition of the surface* and have unprecedented coverage that would allow dark material thickness and composition studies.

 

The dark region is called Cassini Regio and the clear region Roncevaux Terra.

 

We read 2 theories:*. External origin: suggests that the dark material is not Iapetus origin and that it comes from another moon of Saturn that received a strong impact of a huge meteorite and this material was expelled to Iapetus.

 

2. Internal origin:* proposes that the dark material comes from within and surfaced through a combination of meteoric impact and cryo-volcanism. It has also been suggested* that the dark regions may  be areas without water.

 

The equatorial ridge of Iapetus is another photographic aspect; discovered by Cassini/Huygens. Its range is 20 kilometers wide and 13 high, and stretches  1300 kilometers from the dark side. The reason behind this formation  would be another photographic target. We read  several theories.*

• It could be  remnant of  spheroid shape Iapetus in the beginning, when it rotated faster.

• It is composed of a liquid that emanated from sources below the surface and then solidified.

• Might have had its origin in the distant past, when Iapetus would have touched the outermost portion of the rings of Saturn and consumed part of its materials.

• It could be the result of the impact of an Iapetus debris ring created from a sub – satellite rupture that orbited this moon*.

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH DATA:

 

1) Space at the service eof our environment,ESAmFlorence,Italy,14 March 1997

2) Astronomy, by Paul Muller, Paris Observatory

3) JPL website

4) Mysteries of Mind,Space & Time, Websters Home Library

5) Encyclopedia of the Solar System, by, Academic Press

6) The explosion of Science, by Meredith Press

7) Craters ! by Natl Science Teachers association

8) Visions, by Dr Michio Kaku

9) ESA bulletin num 98, june 1999