Orbits of Potential Pluto Satellites and Rings Between Charon and Hydra
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
2015-05-25 v1
Abstract
Pluto and its five known satellites form a complex dynamic system. Here we explore where additional satellites could exist exterior to Charon (the innermost moon) but interior of Hydra (the outermost). We also provide dynamical constraints for the masses of the known satellites. We show that there are significant stable regions interior of Styx and between Nix and Kerberos. In addition, we show that coorbitals of the known small satellites are stable, even at high inclinations, and discuss mass constraints on undiscovered satellites in such orbits.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.1505.05933,
title = {Orbits of Potential Pluto Satellites and Rings Between Charon and Hydra},
author = {Simon B. Porter and S. Alan Stern},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1505.05933},
year = {2015}
}
Comments
(7 pages, 3 figures, submitted to ApJ Letters)