Mapping Phase Space Topology Structure and Dynamics of Jovian Irregular Satellites

Details Mapping Phase Space Topology Structure and Dynamics of Jovian Irregular Satellites Mapping Phase Space Topology Structure and Dynamics of Jovian Irregular Satellites

Sep 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008dps....40.4606h&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #40, #46.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.481

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

An interesting application of the general 3-body problem is the dynamics of irregular satellites orbiting the giant planets in the solar system. Since the late 1990s an ever increasing population of these small bodies has been observed revealing a systematic distribution of orbital elements in phase space. This field of research is relatively young and the common understanding is that irregular satellites are captured objects from original heliocentric orbits. Their present day existence provide a unique window in to the early environmental conditions of giant planet and solar system formation. We apply the MEGNO technique to study the phase space topology of Jovian irregular satellites. Initial tests revealed this technique to be a powerful tool to study the present day dynamics of irregular satellites. A complete mapping in the (a,e)-, (a,i)- and (i,e)-phase space planes have been performed revealing interesting dynamical regions. The MEGNO maps show the locations of mean motion resonances and identifies the presence of Kozai cycles at close-polar orbits. In addition the MEGNO maps clearly divides phase space into stable and unstable regions revealing an asymmetry between the prograde and retrograde region of irregular satellites. In particular, this work can be used to constrain on-going and future ground-based observing surveys/campaigns to regions within Jupiters Hill sphere revealing stable orbit configurations of irregular satellites.

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