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Confined chaos and the chaotic angular motion of Atlas, a Saturn's inner satellite

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Autor(es):
Pereira, Lucas S. ; Mourao, Daniela C. ; Winter, Othon C.
Número total de Autores: 3
Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
Fonte: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society; v. 529, n. 2, p. 7-pg., 2024-03-09.
Resumo

The dynamics of the Solar system exhibit inherent chaos and instability. Mathematical tools, such as the maximum Lyapunov characteristic exponent (LCE) and Lyapunov time (T-L), play a crucial role in providing a qualitative understanding of chaos within celestial objects, such as asteroids and moonlets. Celestial bodies with relatively small Lyapunov times have garnered significant research interest due to their stable orbits, a phenomenon referred to as stable or confined chaos. Notable examples include Saturn's satellites: Atlas, with a Lyapunov time on the order of 10 yr, Prometheus, and Pandora. This work aims to study the chaotic behaviour of the Atlas satellite and its relatively small T-L. We present a three-dimensional model approach designed to isolate the radial contribution from the LCE and assess its influence within the LCE. Our investigation focuses on the Saturn system, comprising Saturn itself, along with its satellites Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, and Mimas. To estimate the radial contribution of the LCE, we find the projection of the radial vector of a ghost Atlas (a slightly displaced Atlas) onto the Atlas radial vector, which allows us to calculate the difference between the radial vectors. This methodology enables us to estimate the radial contribution of the LCE and calculate the Lyapunov time. Remarkably, our results demonstrate that orbits remain confined even for integration times exceeding T-L. Furthermore, we investigate the temporal behaviour of Atlas' angular position in its orbit, potentially shedding light on chaotic angular dynamics. (AU)

Processo FAPESP: 16/24561-0 - A relevância dos pequenos corpos em dinâmica orbital
Beneficiário:Othon Cabo Winter
Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático