Search Constraints
1 - 2 of 2
Number of results to display per page
Search Results
- Description:
- We analyze a new set of 275 n-body calculations designed to place limits on the masses of the small circumbinary satellites in the Pluto-Charon system. Together with calculations reported in previous papers, we repeat that a robust upper limit on the total mass of the four satellites is ~ 9.5 x 10^19 g. For satellite volumes derived from \nh, this mass limit implies a robust upper limit on the bulk densities of Nix and Hydra, <=1.7 g/cm^3, that are comparable to the bulk density of Charon. Additional calculations demonstrate that satellite systems with mass <= 8.25 x 10^19 g are robustly stable over the current age of the Sun. The bulk densities of Nix and Hydra in these lower mass systems are clearly smaller than the bulk density of Charon. These new n-body\results enable accurate measurements of eccentricity and inclination for Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra that agree well with orbital elements derived from numerical calculations with new HST and New Horizons state vectors. With these new state vectors, Styx has a 37 % larger eccentricity and an 85% smaller inclination, which makes it more prone to gravitational perturbations from Nix.
- Keyword:
- dynamical evolution, Kerberos, Hydra, Nix, Charon, Pluto, planets, satellites, and Styx
- Subject:
- Astrophysics
- Creator:
- Kenyon, Scott J. and Bromley, Benjamin C.
- Owner:
- BENJAMIN BROMLEY
- Based Near Label Tesim:
- Greenbelt, Maryland, United States
- Language:
- English
- Date Uploaded:
- 01/29/2025
- Date Modified:
- 01/29/2025
- Date Created:
- 2022-03-26 to 2025-01-17
- License:
- CC BY NC - Allows others to use and share your data non-commercially and with attribution.
- Resource Type:
- Dataset
- Description:
- We discuss a new set of ~ 500 numerical n-body calculations designed to constrain the masses and bulk densities of Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra. Comparisons of different techniques for deriving the semimajor axis and eccentricity of the four satellites favor methods relying on the theory of Lee & Peale (2006), where satellite orbits are derived in the context of the restricted three body problem (Pluto, Charon, and one massless satellite). In each simulation, we adopt the nominal satellite masses derived in Kenyon & Bromley (2019b), multiply the mass of at least one satellite by a numerical factor f >= 1, and establish whether the system ejects at least one satellite on a time scale <= 4.5~Gyr. When the total system mass is large (f >> 1), ejections of Kerberos are more common. Systems with lower satellite masses (f ~ 1) usually eject Styx. In these calculations, Styx often signals an ejection by moving to higher orbital inclination long before ejection; Kerberos rarely signals in a useful way. The n-body results suggest that Styx and Kerberos are more likely to have bulk densities comparable with water ice, rho_SK <= 2 g/cm^3, than with rock. A strong upper limit on the total system mass, M_SNKH <= 9.5 x 10^19 g, also places robust constraints on the average bulk density of the four satellites, rho_SNKH <= 1.4 g/cm^3. These limits support models where the satellites grow out of icy material ejected during a major impact on Pluto or Charon.
- Keyword:
- Nix, dynamic evolution, satellites , Hydra, Styx, Charon, model, Pluto, planets, and Kerberos
- Subject:
- Astrophysics
- Creator:
- Kenyon, Scott and Bromley, Benjamin
- Owner:
- BENJAMIN BROMLEY
- Based Near Label Tesim:
- United States, , United States
- Date Uploaded:
- 04/01/2022
- Date Modified:
- 12/06/2023
- Date Created:
- 2019-05-15 to 2022-03-25
- License:
- CC BY NC - Allows others to use and share your data non-commercially and with attribution.
- Resource Type:
- Dataset
- Identifier:
- https://doi.org/10.7278/S50d-5g6f-yfc5