On Estimating the Dissipative Factor of the Martian Interior

Abstract

An attempt is made to construct a trial Q_μ(l) distribution in the silicate mantle of Mars. With the allowance for the fact that on the P–T plane the Earth’s geotherm is close to the distribution of areotherms, it was concluded that Q_μ(l) should be distributed in the Martian interior topologically close to the Q_μ(l) distribution in the Earth. The initial distribution was specified by the four-layer piecewise-constant distribution from the QML9 model. An important step was to select the power index in the frequency dependence of Q_μ. Based on the laboratory data and on the experience of studying this problem for the Earth, n was specified in the interval 0.1–0.3. It was found that with the conversion of the initial distribution to the orbital period of Phobos around Mars, which is the only constraint for the problem derived from the observations, this distribution agrees reasonably well with the observational data at n = 0.1.