Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 1996
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996dps....28.1819s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #28, #18.19; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 28, p.1127
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We investigate the evolution of structures in planetary rings in i) the neighborhood of the orbit of an embedded moonlet (small satellite) as well as ii) at an inner 3:2 resonance of a outer satellite. The effects of collisions have been taken into account by introducing the velocity dependent restitution coefficient according to experimental measurements (Bridges et al. 1984. Nature 309, 333) as well as theoretical models (Brilliantov et al. 1996. Phys. Rev. E 53, 5382). i) Here we present results of recent many-particle simulations which show a significant influence of the interparticle collisions on the formation and persistence of wake structures in a model ring. In contrary to the collision-free model, a stationary, non-mirrorsymmetric wake pattern with decreasing intensity in azimuthal direction is observed. The azimuthal damping rate of the wake intensity is estimated from the data obtained in the simulation and conclusions are drawn for real planetary rings. ii) Concerning the recently detected resonant features at the 3:2 resonances of the satellites Pandora and Prometheus in the B ring of Saturn (Thiessenhusen et al. 1995. Icarus 113,206) we have extended previous collisional simulations to the case of high matter density. In all models, three ``wakes'', according to the azimuthal wave number m=3, around the resonance have been formed. In all cases (i) and ii)) the result of the kinematic (collisionless) approach is finally a mirror symmetric structure. The net torque in this stationary state is zero, and thus, there is no exchange of angular momentum between ring and satellite, as it would be expected from an interaction-free ring medium. The collisions lead to a breaking of this symmetry related to a remaining torque between ring and moon. The resulting stationary structures then depend in both cases i) and ii) on the particle density, and thus, on the related dissipation rate in the system.
Hertzsch Jan-Martin
Spahn Frank
Thiessenhusen Kai-Uwe
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