Abstract The recent Galileo spacecraft explored Jupiter and its satellite system and provided us with new geodetic data. In order to discuss the dynamical parameters and secular tidal effect of Io, the theory of synchronous satellite is described in detail. Using the new geodetic data of Io, two sets of Io’s internal structure models are constructed based on the asthenosphere assumption. The liberation parameters α, β, γ and dynamical flattening H are calculated for the models of Io. A comparison of Io with the Moon indicates that they are quite different in many characteristics in spite of the fact that they are approximately equal in mass and size and that they both orbit synchronously.
Keywords Io --- synchronous orbit --- dynamical parameters
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