Can Neptune’s Distant Mean Motion Resonances Constrain Undiscovered Planets in the Solar System? Lessons from a Case Study of the 9:1 Resonance
Recent observational surveys of the outer solar system provide evidence that Neptune's distant n :1 mean motion resonances may harbor relatively large reservoirs of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). In particular, the discovery of two securely classified 9:1 resonators, 2015 KE _172 and 2007 TC _...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Planetary Science Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad2201 |
| _version_ | 1797270206443159552 |
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| author | Matthew W. Porter David W. Gerdes Kevin J. Napier Hsing Wen Lin Fred C. Adams |
| author_facet | Matthew W. Porter David W. Gerdes Kevin J. Napier Hsing Wen Lin Fred C. Adams |
| author_sort | Matthew W. Porter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent observational surveys of the outer solar system provide evidence that Neptune's distant n :1 mean motion resonances may harbor relatively large reservoirs of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). In particular, the discovery of two securely classified 9:1 resonators, 2015 KE _172 and 2007 TC _434 , by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey is consistent with a population of order 10 ^4 such objects in the 9:1 resonance with absolute magnitude H _r < 8.66. This work investigates whether the long-term stability of such populations in Neptune’s n :1 resonances can be used to constrain the existence of distant 5–10 M _⊕ planets orbiting at hundreds of au. The existence of such a planet has been proposed to explain a reported clustering in the orbits of highly eccentric “extreme” trans-Neptunian objects (or eTNOs), although this hypothesis remains controversial. We engage in a focused computational case study of the 9:1 resonance, generating synthetic populations and integrating them for 1 Gyr in the presence of 81 different test planets with various masses, perihelion distances, eccentricities, and inclinations. While none of the tested planets are incompatible with the existence of 9:1 resonators, our integrations shed light on the character of the interaction between such planets and nearby n :1 resonances, and we use this knowledge to construct a simple heuristic method for determining whether or not a given planet could destabilize a given resonant population. We apply this method to the currently estimated properties of Planet 9, and find that a large primordial population in the 15:1 resonance (or beyond), if discovered in the future, could potentially constrain the existence of this planet. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T02:00:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b3e4e355bb24c94878d104113e01a8e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T02:00:35Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b3e4e355bb24c94878d104113e01a8e2024-03-07T14:58:29ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382024-01-01536110.3847/PSJ/ad2201Can Neptune’s Distant Mean Motion Resonances Constrain Undiscovered Planets in the Solar System? Lessons from a Case Study of the 9:1 ResonanceMatthew W. Porter0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9989-4782David W. Gerdes1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6942-2736Kevin J. Napier2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4827-5049Hsing Wen Lin3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7737-6784Fred C. Adams4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8167-1767Department of Physics, University of Michigan Ann Arbor , MI 48109, USA; Department of Astronomy, University of Florida , Gainesville, FL 32611, USADepartment of Physics, University of Michigan Ann Arbor , MI 48109, USA; Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan Ann Arbor , MI 48109, USADepartment of Physics, University of Michigan Ann Arbor , MI 48109, USADepartment of Physics, University of Michigan Ann Arbor , MI 48109, USADepartment of Physics, University of Michigan Ann Arbor , MI 48109, USA; Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan Ann Arbor , MI 48109, USARecent observational surveys of the outer solar system provide evidence that Neptune's distant n :1 mean motion resonances may harbor relatively large reservoirs of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). In particular, the discovery of two securely classified 9:1 resonators, 2015 KE _172 and 2007 TC _434 , by the Outer Solar System Origins Survey is consistent with a population of order 10 ^4 such objects in the 9:1 resonance with absolute magnitude H _r < 8.66. This work investigates whether the long-term stability of such populations in Neptune’s n :1 resonances can be used to constrain the existence of distant 5–10 M _⊕ planets orbiting at hundreds of au. The existence of such a planet has been proposed to explain a reported clustering in the orbits of highly eccentric “extreme” trans-Neptunian objects (or eTNOs), although this hypothesis remains controversial. We engage in a focused computational case study of the 9:1 resonance, generating synthetic populations and integrating them for 1 Gyr in the presence of 81 different test planets with various masses, perihelion distances, eccentricities, and inclinations. While none of the tested planets are incompatible with the existence of 9:1 resonators, our integrations shed light on the character of the interaction between such planets and nearby n :1 resonances, and we use this knowledge to construct a simple heuristic method for determining whether or not a given planet could destabilize a given resonant population. We apply this method to the currently estimated properties of Planet 9, and find that a large primordial population in the 15:1 resonance (or beyond), if discovered in the future, could potentially constrain the existence of this planet.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad2201Solar systemSmall Solar System bodiesOrbitsOrbital resonancesSolar system planetsTrans-Neptunian objects |
| spellingShingle | Matthew W. Porter David W. Gerdes Kevin J. Napier Hsing Wen Lin Fred C. Adams Can Neptune’s Distant Mean Motion Resonances Constrain Undiscovered Planets in the Solar System? Lessons from a Case Study of the 9:1 Resonance The Planetary Science Journal Solar system Small Solar System bodies Orbits Orbital resonances Solar system planets Trans-Neptunian objects |
| title | Can Neptune’s Distant Mean Motion Resonances Constrain Undiscovered Planets in the Solar System? Lessons from a Case Study of the 9:1 Resonance |
| title_full | Can Neptune’s Distant Mean Motion Resonances Constrain Undiscovered Planets in the Solar System? Lessons from a Case Study of the 9:1 Resonance |
| title_fullStr | Can Neptune’s Distant Mean Motion Resonances Constrain Undiscovered Planets in the Solar System? Lessons from a Case Study of the 9:1 Resonance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can Neptune’s Distant Mean Motion Resonances Constrain Undiscovered Planets in the Solar System? Lessons from a Case Study of the 9:1 Resonance |
| title_short | Can Neptune’s Distant Mean Motion Resonances Constrain Undiscovered Planets in the Solar System? Lessons from a Case Study of the 9:1 Resonance |
| title_sort | can neptune s distant mean motion resonances constrain undiscovered planets in the solar system lessons from a case study of the 9 1 resonance |
| topic | Solar system Small Solar System bodies Orbits Orbital resonances Solar system planets Trans-Neptunian objects |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad2201 |
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