Exotic orbits of asteroids in the solar system and their impacts on space missions

Autor(en)

Richard Schwarz

Abstrakt

Speaking of exotic orbits we mean objects in co-orbital motion. Objects in co-orbital motion are two celestial bodies moving in the same orbit or similar distance to the central body then they are in the so called 1:1 mean motion resonance (MMR). There are several configurations of co-orbital objects, depending on their point of libration:
1. The satellite configuration. 2. A common configuration in our Solar System especially for asteroids is the so-called Trojans. These are two groups of asteroids moving close to the equilibrium points (Lagrangian points) L4 and L5 in a 1:1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter (also with Earth, Mars, Uranus and Neptune). That means that Jupiter's Trojans are moving either close to 60° ahead respectively 60° behind the Jupiter with the same semi-major axis as the planet. 3. Similar class to the Trojan class is the horseshoe orbits, in which objects librates around 180° from the planet. 4. Another exotic class of orbits is the exchange orbit that occurs when two co-orbital objects are of similar masses and thus exert a non-negligible influence on each other. The objects can exchange semi-major axes (e.g. Saturnian moons Janus and Epimetheus) or eccentricities when they approach each other.

After the success of space missions like SOHO and Herschel-Plank the scientific interest increased towards to the benefit of the Lagrangian points and other exotic motions.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Astrophysik

Publikationsdatum

01-2017

ÖFOS 2012

103003 Astronomie, 103004 Astrophysik

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/27d1da90-4189-4f3a-aba6-b681af2117b9