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Dynamical Evolution Induced by Planet Nine

Batygin, Konstantin & Morbidelli, Alessandro (2017)

Published
Dec 1, 2017
DOI
10.3847/1538-3881/aa937c

At a GlanceAI

Semi-analytic theory of how a hypothetical Planet Nine would cluster, detach and tilt distant Kuiper Belt orbits.

SummaryAI

Beyond about 250 au, observed TNO orbits show structure that the authors attribute to an undetected massive planet. This paper builds the theory behind the numerical results: a purely secular model fails to keep distant objects stable, while a web of mean-motion resonances with Planet Nine does. Secular dynamics embedded within these resonances confine the orbits and detach the perihelia, and capture into a high-order secular resonance drives large inclination oscillations. The paper reinterprets the observational data within the Planet Nine hypothesis, which remains a hypothesis.

Method SnapshotAI

Semi-analytic perturbation theory (secular and resonant) checked against numerical experiments.

BackgroundAI

Hamiltonian perturbation theory, secular and mean-motion resonances.