Ceres : Evolution and Present State

Introduction: We consider Ceres as a prototype for planetary evolution [1]. From thermal modeling by McCord and Sotin [2, 3, 4], Ceres was inferred to have differentiated into a rocky core of hydrated silicates, and an icy outer shell. Thomas et al. [5] confirmed such a model from direct observation of Ceres’s shape from Hubble Space Telescope observations, and pervious occultation measurements. McCord and Sotin [4] also suggest that Ceres could have preserved a deep ocean, especially if ammonia or some other ice melting point depressant was incorporated during accretion. We continue to develop thermal modeling of Ceres, using increasingly sophisticated models and new observational information in order to match the observed shape. In particular, we investigate the evolution of the core.