Internals of Vihaivi
Vihaivi
Vihaivi
Orbital characteristics
| Semi-major axis | 37,488 km |
|---|---|
| Eccentricity | 0.076 |
| Orbital period | 0.911 d |
| Inclination | 1.68° to Kaveri's equator |
Physical characteristics
| Radius | 0.936 Moons |
|---|---|
| Mass | 1.17 Moons |
| Mean density | 4.77 g/cm3 |
| Surface gravity | 0.221 g |
| Synodic rotation period | 0.911 d (Tidally locked) |
| Axial tilt | 5.79° |
| Temperature | ~360 K |
Atmosphere
| Surface pressure | 0.87 bar |
|---|
Vihaivi is a moon of Kaveri. It is a highly volcanic moon with a carbon dioxide atmosphere. It is also tidally locked to Kaveri and experiences large amounts of tidal heating, keeping its internals liquid. Vihaivi is the only known moon in the Aurinko System to have a significant magenetic field and atmosphere.
Nomenclature
Vihaivi is a contraction of the Finnish phrase "vihainen kivi" which means "angry rock".
General characteristics
Vihaivi is a volcanic moon of Kaveri and orbits about 37,500 km away from it. Due to its close proximity, it experiences large amounts of tidal heating, keeping its internals liquid, fuelling its volcanism. It has a radius of about 3,200 km and mass 1.17 times that of Earth's moon.
Internals of Vihaivi
Vihaivi has a solid core and partially liquid mantle, which is caused by tidal heating. Without it, Vihalvi would have completely solidified. Magma from within occasianally breaks through the solid crust, giving rise to massive eruptions. The core is also convecting, generating a magnetic field. Although weak, it still deflects incoming solar wind, helping maintain the atmosphere.
The atmosphere of Vihaivi is predomenantly carbon dioxide and nitrogen with trace amounts of sulphur dioxide and other gases. Due to Vihaivi's low gravity, it appears extremely puffy. Observations have shown an atmospheric bridge between Vihaivi and Kaveri, with atmosphere slowly being stripped from Vihaivi, spiralling into Kaveri, and mixing with Kaveri's own atmosphere.