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Long-term dynamics of Methone, Anthe and Pallene

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2010

Nelson Callegari Jr.
Affiliation:
Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas, Unesp - Univ Estadual Paulista, Departamento de Estatística, Matemática Aplicada e Computação. Av. 24-A, Rio Claro/SP/Brazil, CEP 13506-700. email: calleg@rc.unesp.br, tadashi@rc.unesp.br
Tadashi Yokoyama
Affiliation:
Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas, Unesp - Univ Estadual Paulista, Departamento de Estatística, Matemática Aplicada e Computação. Av. 24-A, Rio Claro/SP/Brazil, CEP 13506-700. email: calleg@rc.unesp.br, tadashi@rc.unesp.br
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Abstract

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We numerically investigate the long-term dynamics of the Saturn's small satellites Methone (S/2004 S1), Anthe (S/2007 S4) and Pallene (S/2004 S2). In our numerical integrations, these satellites are disturbed by non-spherical shape of Saturn and the six nearest regular satellites. The stability of the small bodies is studied here by analyzing long-term evolution of their orbital elements.

We show that long-term evolution of Pallene is dictated by a quasi secular resonance involving the ascending nodes (Ω) and longitudes of pericentric distances (ϖ) of Mimas (subscript 1) and Pallene (subscript 2), which critical argument is ϖ2−ϖ1−Ω12. Long-term orbital evolution of Methone and Anthe are probably chaotic since: i) their orbits randomly cross the orbit of Mimas in time scales of thousands years); ii) long-term numerical simulations involving both small satellites are strongly affected by small changes in the initial conditions.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

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