On the dissipative factor of the Martian interiors

An estimate of the dissipative factor Qμ of the interior of Mars for models with liquid and solid cores is the main result of this paper. The secular acceleration of Phobos was used for this purpose. Weighting factors were calculated for the second-order tides, whose convolutions with the model dissipative factor for the Martian interior Qμ(r) determine the dissipative factor for Mars Qμ for a fixed value of the period T2 = 2 × 104 s. The weighting functions are small near the surface and large in the middle and lower mantle of Mars. The noted property of the weighting functions enables one to fairly reliably determine the mean value of the dissipative factor for the interior of Mars. These values for the most preferable models of Mars (with liquid and solid cores) are appreciably different: Qμ = 59–68 for the model with the liquid core and Qμ = 40–45 for the model with the solid core. These values are very small for solid silicate planets. It is explained by the fact that they correspond to the long periods, T2 ∼ 2 × 104 s. This result leads us to the conclusion that the model with the liquid core is much more actual than the model with the solid core.