5 research outputs found
Nonlinear time-series analysis of Hyperion's lightcurves
Hyperion is a satellite of Saturn that was predicted to remain in a chaotic
rotational state. This was confirmed to some extent by Voyager 2 and Cassini
series of images and some ground-based photometric observations. The aim of
this aticle is to explore conditions for potential observations to meet in
order to estimate a maximal Lyapunov Exponent (mLE), which being positive is an
indicator of chaos and allows to characterise it quantitatively. Lightcurves
existing in literature as well as numerical simulations are examined using
standard tools of theory of chaos. It is found that existing datasets are too
short and undersampled to detect a positive mLE, although its presence is not
rejected. Analysis of simulated lightcurves leads to an assertion that
observations from one site should be performed over a year-long period to
detect a positive mLE, if present, in a reliable way. Another approach would be
to use 2---3 telescopes spread over the world to have observations distributed
more uniformly. This may be achieved without disrupting other observational
projects being conducted. The necessity of time-series to be stationary is
highly stressed.Comment: 34 pages, 12 figures, 4 tables; v2 after referee report; matches the
version accepted in Astrophysics and Space Scienc