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Astronomy
intermediate

The functional relation between three-body mean motion resonances and Yarkovsky drift speeds

I Milić Žitnik (2021)

Published
Sep 20, 2021
Journal
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society · Vol. 507 · No. 4
DOI
10.1093/mnras/stab2526

At a GlanceAI

Derives and validates equations linking three-body MMR crossing time to resonance strength and Yarkovsky semimajor-axis drift.

SummaryAI

Asteroids drifting in semimajor axis due to the Yarkovsky effect can be delayed when they cross three-body mean-motion resonances with Jupiter and Saturn, altering their long-term mobility in the main belt. Using 84,000 numerically integrated test asteroids, the study measures resonance-induced time delays across seven three-body MMRs for both positive and negative drift rates. It introduces two approximate equations relating the average time spent in resonance to resonance strength, drift speed, and low eccentricities (e < 0.1), and shows these analytic estimates match the numerical results well. The result extends to three-body resonances a functional relation previously established for two-body MMRs, enabling more practical modeling of resonance-crossing times under Yarkovsky drift.

Method SnapshotAI

Large-scale numerical integrations with Orbit9 are used to measure resonance-crossing delays and fit approximate functional relations to resonance strength and Yarkovsky drift speed.

BackgroundAI

Celestial mechanics of mean-motion resonances and basic familiarity with the Yarkovsky effect and asteroid orbital elements.

Expert Review: The functional relation between three-body mean motion resonances and Yarkovsky drift speeds | Marginalia