Astronomy5 papers
Dynamics of unstable main belt asteroids
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Ivana Milić Žitnik
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On the Origin of Chaos in the Asteroid Belt
N. Murray et al. (1998)
- Published
- Nov 1, 1998
- Journal
- The Astronomical Journal · Vol. 116 · No. 5
- DOI
- 10.1086/300586
At a Glance
Saturn’s forcing of Jupiter creates chaotic three-body “sideband” resonances that dominate chaos across much of the asteroid belt.
Summary
This paper explains why asteroid orbits can be chaotic even where classic Jupiter–asteroid mean-motion resonances are absent. Murray, Holman, and Potter show that Saturn-driven variations in Jupiter’s orbit generate nearby three-body “sideband” (Laplace-type) resonances whose subresonances overlap, producing new chaotic zones adjacent to standard two-body resonances. They derive simple scaling formulas for sideband widths, Lyapunov times, and eccentricity-diffusion (removal) times, and verify them with targeted numerical integrations. The results imply that many outer-belt asteroids reside in these three-body resonances, with some experiencing eccentricity growth leading to ejection on timescales shorter than the Solar System’s age.
Method Snapshot
Analytic resonance-overlap theory for Saturn-modulated Jupiter–asteroid resonances, benchmarked against N-body integrations of test particles with the giant planets.
Background
Celestial mechanics of mean-motion/secular resonances and basic dynamical-systems ideas (chaos, Lyapunov time, diffusion).