4,505 research outputs found
Retrograde resonance in the planar three-body problem
We continue the investigation of the dynamics of retrograde resonances
initiated in Morais & Giuppone (2012). After deriving a procedure to deduce the
retrograde resonance terms from the standard expansion of the three-dimensional
disturbing function, we concentrate on the planar problem and construct
surfaces of section that explore phase-space in the vicinity of the main
retrograde resonances (2/-1, 1/-1 and 1/-2). In the case of the 1/-1 resonance
for which the standard expansion is not adequate to describe the dynamics, we
develop a semi-analytic model based on numerical averaging of the unexpanded
disturbing function, and show that the predicted libration modes are in
agreement with the behavior seen in the surfaces of section.Comment: Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, in pres
Asteroids in retrograde resonance with Jupiter and Saturn
We identify a set of asteroids among Centaurs and Damocloids, that orbit
contrary to the common direction of motion in the Solar System and that enter
into resonance with Jupiter and Saturn. Their orbits have inclinations I >= 140
deg and semi-major axes a < 15 AU. Two objects are currently in retrograde
resonance with Jupiter: 2006 BZ8 in the 2/-5 resonance and 2008 SO218 in the
1/-2 resonance. One object, 2009 QY6, is currently in the 2/-3 retrograde
resonance with Saturn. These are the first examples of Solar System objects in
retrograde resonance. The present resonant configurations last for several
thousand years. Brief captures in retrograde resonance with Saturn are also
possible during the 20,000 years integration timespan, particularly in the 1/-1
resonance (2006 BZ8) and the 9/-7 resonance (1999 LE31).Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter
Stellar wobble caused by a nearby binary system: eccentric and inclined orbits
Most extrasolar planets currently known were discovered by means of an
indirect method that measures the stellar wobble caused by the planet. We
previously studied a triple system composed of a star and a nearby binary on
circular coplanar orbits. We showed that although the effect of the binary on
the star can be differentiated from the stellar wobble caused by a planet,
because of observational limitations the two effects may often remain
indistinguishable. Here, we develop a model that applies to eccentric and
inclined orbits. We show that the binary's effect is more likely to be mistaken
by planet(s) in the case of coplanar motion observed equator-on. Moreover, when
the orbits are eccentric, the magnitude of the binary's effect may be larger
than in the circular case. Additionally, an eccentric binary can mimic two
planets with orbital periods in the ratio 2/1. However, when the star's orbit
around the binary's center of mass has a high eccentricity and a reasonably
well-constrained period, it should be easier to distinguish the binary's effect
from a planet.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 2 table
A semi-empirical stability criterion for real planetary systems
We test a crossing orbit stability criterion for eccentric planetary systems,
based on Wisdom's criterion of first order mean motion resonance overlap
(Wisdom, 1980).
We show that this criterion fits the stability regions in real exoplanet
systems quite well. In addition, we show that elliptical orbits can remain
stable even for regions where the apocenter distance of the inner orbit is
larger than the pericenter distance of the outer orbit, as long as the initial
orbits are aligned.
The analytical expressions provided here can be used to put rapid constraints
on the stability zones of multi-planetary systems. As a byproduct of this
research, we further show that the amplitude variations of the eccentricity can
be used as a fast-computing stability indicator.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures. MNRAS accepte
Tidal damping of the mutual inclination in hierachical systems
Hierarchical two-planet systems, in which the inner body's semi-major axis is
between 0.1 and 0.5 AU, usually present high eccentricity values, at least for
one of the orbits. As a result of the formation process, one may expect that
planetary systems with high eccentricities also have high mutual inclinations.
However, here we show that tidal effects combined with gravitational
interactions damp the initial mutual inclination to modest values in timescales
that are shorter than the age of the system. This effect is not a direct
consequence of tides on the orbits, but it results from a secular forcing of
the inner planet's flattening. We then conclude that these hierarchical
planetary systems are unlikely to present very high mutual inclinations, at
least as long as the orbits remain outside the Lidov-Kozai libration areas. The
present study can also be extended to systems of binary stars and to
planet-satellite systems.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figure
The population of Near Earth Asteroids in coorbital motion with Venus
We estimate the size and orbital distributions of Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) that are expected to be in the 1:1 mean motion resonance with Venus in a steady state scenario. We predict that the number of such objects with absolute magnitudes H<18 and H<22 is 0.14±0.03 and 3.5±0.7, respectively. We also map the distribution in the sky of these Venus coorbital NEAs and we see that these objects, as the Earth coorbital NEAs studied in a previous paper, are more likely to be found by NEAs search programs that do not simply observe around opposition and that scan large areas of the sky.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6WGF-4KMYG2W-2/1/a7a3dcf3c98ddc8cf0d2d1cdbde6853
Local density of states of electron-crystal phases in graphene in the quantum Hall regime
We calculate, within a self-consistent Hartree-Fock approximation, the local
density of states for different electron crystals in graphene subject to a
strong magnetic field. We investigate both the Wigner crystal and bubble
crystals with M_e electrons per lattice site. The total density of states
consists of several pronounced peaks, the number of which in the negative
energy range coincides with the number of electrons M_e per lattice site, as
for the case of electron-solid phases in the conventional two-dimensional
electron gas. Analyzing the local density of states at the peak energies, we
find particular scaling properties of the density patterns if one fixes the
ratio nu_N/M_e between the filling factor nu_N of the last partially filled
Landau level and the number of electrons per bubble. Although the total density
profile depends explicitly on M_e, the local density of states of the lowest
peaks turns out to be identical regardless the number of electrons M_e. Whereas
these electron-solid phases are reminiscent to those expected in the
conventional two-dimensional electron gas in GaAs heterostructures in the
quantum Hall regime, the local density of states and the scaling relations we
highlight in this paper may be, in graphene, directly measured by spectroscopic
means, such as e.g. scanning tunneling microscopy.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures; minor correction
Current-driven and field-driven domain walls at nonzero temperature
We present a model for the dynamics of current- and field-driven domain-wall
lines at nonzero temperature. We compute thermally-averaged drift velocities
from the Fokker-Planck equation that describes the nonzero-temperature dynamics
of the domain wall. As special limits of this general description, we describe
rigid domain walls as well as vortex domain walls. In these limits, we
determine also depinning times of the domain wall from an extrinsic pinning
potential. We compare our theory with previous theoretical and experimental
work
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