Outer Moons Research Articles

Saturn's sweeper moons predicted

The recent observation of the absorption of radiation belts in the vicinity of Saturn's bright rings and historical observations of the ring system make the following related results apparent: - The gaps in the rings are caused by the presence of at least 6 small, extremely dense and probably electrically charged ‘sweeper’ moons which effectively sweep the ring matter clean from the gaps. This is known due to the fading of the inner ring edges whereas the outer edges are well defined. Their orbital periods will differ from the expected Keplerian periods if the moons and Saturn do possess electric fields. - Absorption of radiation belts near the rings (of Jupiter also) implies that the ring particles themselves are not absorbing the radiation but the small moons are. This is consistent with the observed radiation belt absorption near the outer Saturnian moons. - If electric fields of the sweeper moons cause the ring edge fading as observed (and not simply gravitational), then Saturn itself must maintain an electric field in its vicinity by way of a sizeable proton wind to affect the uneven ring edge fading and will be surrounded by an H+ cloud at least to approximately the A-ring. this is consistent with the detection of an H+ cloud surrounding Saturn (Weiseret al., 1977, p. 755). The other possibility is that these moons are extremely dense and have very large internal magnetic fields. - Because of their location, these moons must be captured and if very dense as believed, may be core remnants of a nova.

Binary Formation by Three-Body Collisions

view Abstract Citations (11) References (13) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS Binary Formation by Three-Body Collisions Mansbach, Peter Abstract Keck's "variational method" is used to obtain an expression for the rate of formation of binaries due to stellar three-body collisions, under quite general conditions. In the solar neighborhood this rate is too small to account for any binaries. In globular clusters it could account for a few. The mass dependence and separation dependence of the three-body rate is also not in agreement with observations in the solar neighborhood, disproving the possibility that binaries were formed by this process but under different galactic circumstances. The general rate expression is also applicable to other problems, such as comet capture by a star or asteroid capture by a planet. An estimate of the latter, using available data, indicates that the rate is somewhat too low to account for Jupiter's outer moons if the third body is another asteroid. The third body might be a more massive satellite, however; this possibility is promising. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: April 1970 DOI: 10.1086/150412 Bibcode: 1970ApJ...160..135M full text sources ADS |