Chaotic motion in a comet disk beyond Neptune - The delivery of short-period comets

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Astronomical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/115233· OSTI ID:5018300

Torbett, M V ^[1]

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1. Kentucky Univ., Lexington (USA)

Recent Monte Carlo simulations have demonstrated that a source with a spherical distribution of orbital angular momenta such as the Oort Cloud cannot give rise to the highly flattened distribution of short-period comets. It was also demonstrated that the problem of delivery could be resolved if short-period comets originate in a low inclination disk of comets beyond the orbit of Neptune. Numerical integrations of cometary motion in this disk show that perturbations by the four major planets can result in chaotic motions which, on long timescales, can deliver comets to low inclination Neptune-crossing orbits. Multistage gravitational scattering by the major planets can then, according to theory, supply short-period comets with orbital elements matching observations. 34 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5018300
• Journal Information: Astronomical Journal; (USA), Vol. 98; ISSN 0004-6256
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
COMETS
ORIGIN
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
H1 REGIONS
MONTE CARLO METHOD
MOTION
NEPTUNE PLANET
ORBITS
SIMULATION
SOLAR SYSTEM
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLANETS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena