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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

Gyrophase drifts and the orbital evolution of dust at Jupiter's Gossamer Ring

The 'gyrophase drift' phenomenon in Jupiter's fine-dust 'gossamer ring' is presently shown to exceed the plasma-drag drift, and may be able to move small, charged grains either toward or away from synchronous radius. The grain gyrophase drifts toward the higher temperature in the presence of a radial gradient in plasma temperature; gyrophase drift will also occur in conjunction with a radial gradient in the relative concentrations of different plasma ion species, or even due to plasma-grain velocity variation associated with the grain's cycloidal motion through the plasma. The Poynting-Robertson drift is noted to be diminutive by comparison with either the plasma-drag or gyrophase drifts.

Northrop, T. G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

3-D orbital evolution model of outer asteroid belt

The evolution of minor planets in the outer part of the asteroid belt is considered. In the framework of the semi-averaged elliptic restricted three-dimensional three-body model, the boundary of regions of the Hill's stability is found. As was shown in our work, the Jacobian integral exists.

Solovaya, Nina A.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Exomoons in Systems with a Strong Perturber: Applications to α Cen AB

The presence of a stellar companion can place constraints on occurrence and orbital evolution of satellites orbiting exoplanets, i.e., exomoons. In this work we revise earlier orbital stability limits for retrograde orbits in the case of a three-body system consisting of a star, planet, and satellite. The revised limit reads a{sub sat}{sup crit}≈0.668(1-1.236e{sub p}) for e {sub p} ≤ 0.8 in units of the Hill Radius and represents the lower critical orbit as a function of the planetary eccentricity e {sub p}. A similar formula is determined for exomoons hosted by planets in binary star systems, where e {sub p} is replaced with the components of free and forced eccentricity from secular orbit evolution theory. By exploring the dynamics of putative exomoons in α Centauri AB we find that the outer stability limit can be much less than half the Hill Radius due to oscillations in the planetary orbital eccentricity caused by the gravitational interaction with the binary star. We show, furthermore, how the resulting truncation of the outer stability limit can affect the outward tidal migration and potential observability of exomoons through transit-timing variations (TTVs). Typical TTV (rms) amplitudes induced by exomoons in binary systems are ≲10 minutes and appear more likely for planets orbiting the less massive stellar component.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1993

Tidal regime of intact planetoid capture model for the Earth-Moon system: Does it relate to the archean sedimentary rock record?

Regardless of one's favorite model for the origin of the Earth-Moon system (fission, coformation, tidal capture, giant-impact) the early history of lunar orbital evolution would produce significant thermal and earth and ocean tidal effects on the primitive earth. Three of the above lunar origin models (fission, coformation, giant-impact) feature a circular orbit which undergoes a progressive increase in orbital radius from the time of origin to the present time. In contrast, a tidal capture model places the moon in an elliptical orbit undergoing progressive circularization from the time of capture (for model purposes about 3.9 billion years ago) for at least a few 10(exp 8) years following the capture event. Once the orbit is circularized, the subsequent tidal history for a tidal capture scenario is similar to that for other models of lunar origin and features a progressive increase in orbital radius to the current state of the lunar orbit. This elliptical orbit phase, if it occurred, should have left a distinctive signature in the terrestrial and lunar rock records. Depositional events would be associated terrestrial shorelines characterized by abnormally high, but progressively decreasing, ocean tidal amplitudes and ranges associated with such an orbital evolution. Several rock units in the age range 3.6-2.5 billion years before present are reported to have a major tidal component. Examples are the Warrawoona, Fortescue, and Hamersley Groups of Western Australia and the Pangola and Witwatersand Supergroups of South Africa. Detailed study of the features of these tidal sequences may be helpful in deciphering the style of lunar orbital evolution during the Archean Eon.

Malcuit, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Orbital decay in aspherical galaxies. II - Triaxial systems

A previous analysis of orbital decay of small satellite galaxies into moderately oblate, axisymmetrical cannibal galaxies with Staeckel potentials is generalized here to triaxial systems with arbitary anisotropy and internal streaming. The orbital evolution to be expected in systems with differing degrees of anisotropy or rotation is briefly discussed. The evolution of some representative orbits is presented in detail using the orbit-averaged anisotropic Chandrasekhar drag and the distribution functions for perfect ellipsoids. The validity of orbit averaging is assessed by comparing the results with ensembles of single-particle orbits integrated directly in the same potential and the same drag prescription. An attempt is made to gauge the validity of the Chandrasekhar formula by comparison with restricted N-body solutions. It is found that the orbit-averaged evolution is consistent with such simulations.

Statler, Thomas S.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Urey Prize Lecture - Chaotic dynamics in the solar system

Attention is given to solar system cases in which chaotic solutions of Newton's equations are important, as in chaotic rotation and orbital evolution. Hyperion is noted to be tumbling chaotically; chaotic orbital evolution is suggested to be of fundamental importance to an accounting for the Kirkwood gaps in asteroid distribution and for the phase space boundary of the chaotic zone at the 3/1 mean-motion commensurability with Jupiter. In addition, chaotic trajectories in the 2/1 chaotic zone reach very high eccentricities by a route that carries them to high inclinations temporarily.

Wisdom, Jack↗
NASA NTRS2002

Migration of Trans-Neptunian Objects to a Near-Earth Space

Our estimates of the migration of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) to a near-Earth space are based on the results of investigations of orbital evolution of TNOs and Jupiter-crossing objects (JCOs). The orbital evolution of TNOs was considered in many papers. Recently we investigated the evolution for intervals of at least 5-10 Myr of 2500 JCOs under the gravitational influence of all planets, except for Mercury and Pluto (without dissipative factors). In the first series we considered N=2000 orbits near the orbits of 30 real Jupiter-family comets with period P(sub alpha)less than 10 yr, and in the second series we took N=500 orbits close to the orbit of Comet 10P Tempel 2 (alpha=3.1 AU, e=0.53, i=12 deg). We calculated the probabilities of collisions of objects with the terrestrial planets, using orbital elements obtained with a step equal to 500 yr, and then summarized the results for all time intervals and all bodies, obtaining the total probability P(sub sigma) of collisions with a planet and the total time interval T(sub sigma) during which perihelion distance q of bodies was less than a semimajor axis of the planet.

Ipatov, S. I.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Comments on lunar origin.

Consideration of the tidal evolution of the earth-moon system in the light of recent published studies of lunar origin. The subjects include the factors of orbital evolution, the auxiliary Model Zero, orbital evolution along the outgoing branch, capture models, capture probability, capture with break-up, the tidal evolution of circular and elliptical fragmented rings, and precession and collisions in a ring of fragments. A numerical integration of precessions is performed for the actual nonzero mass of the moon and for a lunar distance of about 22 earth radii. A simplified Model Zero is found to compare well with Goldreich's solution (1968). It is concluded that the moon must have become freely yielding to tidal deformation at distances less than about 8 earth radii. Arguments are given in favor of the capture theory as a basis for the genesis of the moon.

Opik, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Long Term Evolution of Planetary Systems with a Terrestrial Planet and a Giant Planet

We study the long term orbital evolution of a terrestrial planet under the gravitational perturbations of a giant planet. In particular, we are interested in situations where the two planets are in the same plane and are relatively close. We examine both possible configurations: the giant planet orbit being either outside or inside the orbit of the smaller planet. The perturbing potential is expanded to high orders and an analytical solution of the terrestrial planetary orbit is derived. The analytical estimates are then compared against results from the numerical integration of the full equations of motion and we find that the analytical solution works reasonably well. An interesting finding is that the new analytical estimates improve greatly the predictions for the timescales of the orbital evolution of the terrestrial planet compared to an octupole order expansion. Finally, we briefly discuss possible applications of the analytical estimates in astrophysical problems.

Dynamical evolution↗
NASA NTRS1991

Dust particles from comets and asteroids collected at the Earth's orbit: Parent-daughter relationships

The relative contributions of comets and asteroids to the reservoir of dust in the interplanetary medium is not well known. There are direct observations of dust released from comets and there is evidence to associate the IRAS dust bands with possible collisions of Asteroids in the main belt. It is believed that one may combine lab analysis of the physics and chemistry of captured particles with orbital data in order to identify comet and asteroid parent bodies. It is possible to use the collected orbits of the dust to connect with its source in two ways. One is to consider the long time orbit evolution of the dust under Poynting-Robertson drag. The other is to look at the prompt orbit change of dust from comets onto trajectories that intersect the earth's orbit. In order to characterize the orbits of dust particles evolved over a long period of time, a study of its orbital evolution was undertaken. Various parameters associated with these dust orbits as they cross the Earth's orbit were considered in order to see if one may discriminate between particles evolved from comets and asteroids. The method was to calculate by a numerical procedure the orbits of dust particles after they left their parent bodies. It appears that as the particles pass the Earth's orbit, asteroidal grains and cometary grains can be differentiated on the basis of their measured orbital eccentricities even after much planetary perturbation. Broad parent daughter associations can be made on this basis from measurement of their trajectories intercepted in earth orbit.

Jackson, A. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

The adiabatic motion of charged dust grains in rotating magnetospheres

Adiabatic equations of motion are derived for the micrometer-sized dust grains detected in the Jovian and Saturn magnetospheres by the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft. The adiabatic theory of charged particle motion is extended to the case of variable grain charge. Attention is focused on the innermost and outermost limits to the grain orbit evolution, with all orbits tending to become circular with time. The parameters such as the center equation of motion, the drift velocity, and the parallel equation of motion are obtained for grains in a rotating magnetosphere. Consideration is given to the effects of periodic grain charge-discharge, which are affected by the ambient plasma properties and the grain plasma velocity. The charge-discharge process at the gyrofrequency is determined to eliminate the invariance of the magnetic moment and cause the grain to exhibit radial movement. The magnetic moment increases or decreases as a function of the gyrophase of the charge variation.

Northrop, T. G.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Hot Circumsingle Disks Drive Binary Black Hole Mergers in Active Galactic Nucleus Disks

Abstract Binary black hole (BBH) mergers, particularly those with component masses in the pair-instability gap, may be produced by hierarchical mergers in the disks surrounding Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). While the interaction of an embedded BBH with an AGN disk is typically assumed to facilitate a merger, recent high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations challenge this assumption. However, these simulations often have simplified treatments for gas thermodynamics. In this work, we model the possible consequence of various feedback from an embedded BBH with a simple model that maintains an enhanced temperature profile around each binary component. We show that when the minidisks around each BH become hotter than the background by a factor of three, the BBH orbital evolution switches from expansion to contraction. By analyzing the gravitational torque profile, we find that this change in direction is driven by a weakening of the minidisk spirals and their positive torque on the binary. Our results highlight the important role of thermodynamics around BBHs and its effect on their orbital evolution, suggesting that AGN disks could be efficient factories for BBH mergers.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗