A Constraint on the Density of Jupiter’s Moon Thebe from Primordial Dynamics

Abstract Of the 97 known satellites in the Jovian system, the individual masses and densities of each moon have only been determined for six of them: the four Galileans, Amalthea, and Himalia. In this Letter, we derive a prediction for the mean density (and mass) of Thebe, Jupiter’s sixth-largest regular moon, obtaining a lower limit of ρ T ≳ 1.0 g cm –3 ( m T ≳ 5 × 10 20 g). In particular, this value emerges as a key constraint within the context of the resonant transport model for the origins of Jupiter’s interior satellites. Expanding on this theory, here we carry out simulations of the simultaneous gravitational shepherding of Amalthea and Thebe via the resonant influence of inward-migrating Io during Jupiter’s disk-bearing epoch. We find that owing to overstability of resonant dynamics facilitated by the circumjovian disk’s aerodynamic drag, Thebe’s smaller radius (compared to that of Amalthea) requires a higher density to ensure its terminal orbital distance exceeds that of Amalthea, as it does today. With multiple current and upcoming space missions devoted to in situ exploration of the Jovian system, a proper measurement of Thebe’s mass provides an avenue toward empirical falsification or confirmation of our theoretical model for the dynamical evolution of Jupiter’s inner moons.