Dynamical State of the Pluto System

Details Dynamical State of the Pluto System Dynamical State of the Pluto System

Oct 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.6209t&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #62.09; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.542

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We have used observations of Charon, Nix, and Hydra, and a four-body numerical integration to solve for the dynamical state of the Pluto system. A 1σ upper limit of about 0.07 km3 sec-2 on the GM values for Nix and Hydra has been established, indicating that they cannot be both as dense as Pluto and of low albedo. The 1σ lower limit for Hydra includes zero, and for Nix is 0.002 km3 sec-2, which place only weak constraints on how high their albedos might be. The best-fit masses and an assumed Charon-like density suggest albedos one-quarter to one-half that of Charon and diameters less than 100 km.
All three orbits are coplanar to within a fraction of a degree. The orbit of Charon exhibits a non-zero eccentricity using astrometry that explicits solves for the center of disk and therefore avoids the problem of the offset of the center of light from the center of mass that afflicted earlier orbit solutions. The presence of Nix and Hydra causes the line of apsides for Charon's orbit to precess, with the rate being proportional to the total mass of the two outer satellites, but even with masses at the upper limit of what is physically reasonable, the rate is insufficient to explain the difference in the longitude of periapsis indicated by the new data as compared with older HST data.
The orbital periods of Hydra, Nix, and Charon have the ratios 6.06 : 3.99 : 1, but we have not identified any state of resonance in either our best-fit solution or any of our 1σ solutions.
During HST Cycle 15, we more than doubled the amount of astrometry available for Nix and Hydra, with analysis of the new data currently underway. This work is supported by grants from the Space Telescope Science Insititute.

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