A few of Roche limit questions

[HockeyGod98]

Greetings League of Reason I've finally decided to get involved here. So to everyone may I first say, Gravitas.

I think this website has the potential to be a great resource and forum for a variety of reasons (,one being no 500 character posting limits as on YouTube, which could be a negative for all of you, as I am a hopeless writing addict). But enough preamble.

Since I lack the resources to hire an actual science consultant, a few questions/scenarios popped into my head during my last brainstorming/day-dreaming 'session', and I was hoping some of you may be able to help me out.

Suppose a planet or moon, with an Earth-like atmospheric and geological composition, orbited the parent body just outside of the Roche limit, preventing it from being torn apart. The body in question has a perfect orbit around the parent and the orbit won't degrade. The planet would obviously be elongated due to tidal forces. If the planet had an Earth-like rotation, would the planet just be pulled and stretched all to hell as it rotated, like a big malleable rock? Would the atmosphere be ripped away from the planet in such a scenario?

Just curious, and thanks

 

[darthrender2010]

there is one such moon orbiting either Jupiter or Saturn... I forget which though, it's full of volcanic activity

 

[aeroeng314]

I think a better question is to ask whether a planet in that situation could have an Earth-like rotational period. Wouldn't objects near the Roche limit typically be tidally locked to the central body?

 

[Netheralian]

there is one such moon orbiting either Jupiter or Saturn... I forget which though, it's full of volcanic activity

Yes - Io. And it is tidally locked to Jupiter...

 

[HockeyGod98]

I think a better question is to ask whether a planet in that situation could have an Earth-like rotational period. Wouldn't objects near the Roche limit typically be tidally locked to the central body?

From what I understand, yes. What if it were a captured object though, and it still had some of it's original angular momentum?

 

[Saukko31]

What if it were a captured object though, and it still had some of it's original angular momentum?

It would probably start losing its atmosphere, but the increased vulcanic activity would keep up with the loss, until some sort of balance is achieved.
Thinner or thicker atmosphere? Beats me.
This is happening in Io (the Jupiter's moon you mentioned), it is constantly losing it's atmosphere, but the loss is replaced partly by "vulcanic" activity, partly by direct sublimation (from solid sulfur to gas).

 

[ladiesman391]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roche_limit