# Tides in a body librating about a spin-orbit resonance. Generalisation of the Darwin-Kaula theory

## TL;DR

This paper generalizes the Darwin-Kaula theory to account for tidal effects in celestial bodies undergoing libration, deriving new formulas for tidal spectrum, torque, and dissipation applicable to librating bodies.

## Contribution

It extends the classical tidal theory to include libration effects, providing formulas for tidal spectrum, torque, and dissipation in librating celestial bodies.

## Key findings

- Derived tidal spectrum for bodies with forced libration at multiple frequencies.
- Calculated tidal torque correction due to libration.
- Estimated tidal dissipation rates in librating bodies.

## Abstract

The Darwin-Kaula theory of bodily tides is intended for celestial bodies rotating without libration. We demonstrate that this theory, in its customary form, is inapplicable to a librating body. Specifically, in the presence of libration in longitude, the actual spectrum of Fourier tidal modes differs from the conventional spectrum rendered by the Darwin-Kaula theory for a non-librating celestial object. This necessitates derivation of formulae for the tidal torque and the tidal heating rate, that are applicable under libration. We derive the tidal spectrum for longitudinal forced libration with one and two main frequencies, generalisation to more main frequencies being straightforward. (By main frequencies we understand those emerging due to the triaxiality of the librating body.) Separately, we consider a case of free libration at one frequency (once again, generalisation to more frequencies being straightforward). We also calculate the tidal torque. This torque provides correction to the triaxiality-caused physical libration. Our theory is not self-consistent: we assume that the tidal torque is much smaller than the permanent-triaxiality-caused torque; so the additional libration due to tides is much weaker than the main libration due to the permanent triaxiality. Finally, we calculate the tidal dissipation rate in a body experiencing forced libration at the main mode, or free libration at one frequency, or superimposed forced and free librations.