Evaluating the dynamical stability of outer solar system objects in the presence of planet nine
Open accessAbstract
We evaluate the dynamical stability of a selection of outer solar system objects in the presence of the proposed new solar system member Planet Nine. We use a Monte Carlo suite of numerical N-body integrations to construct a variety of orbital elements of the new planet and evaluate the dynamical stability of eight trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) in the presence of Planet Nine. These simulations show that some combinations of orbital elements ( ) result in Planet Nine acting as a stabilizing influence on the TNOs, which can otherwise be destabilized by interactions with Neptune. These simulations also suggest that some TNOs transition between several different mean-motion resonances during their lifetimes while still retaining approximate apsidal antialignment with Planet Nine. This behavior suggests that remaining in one particular orbit is not a requirement for orbital stability. As one product of our simulations, we present an a posteriori probability distribution for the semimajor axis and eccentricity of the proposed Planet Nine based on TNO stability. This result thus provides additional evidence that supports the existence of this proposed planet. We also predict that TNOs can be grouped into multiple populations of objects that interact with Planet Nine in different ways: one population may contain objects like Sedna and 2012 VP 113, which do not migrate significantly in semimajor axis in the presence of Planet Nine and tend to stay in the same resonance; another population may contain objects like 2007 TG 422 and 2013 RF 98, which may both migrate and transition between different resonances.
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Mean-motion resonances with Planet Nine are relevant to the dynamical evolution of the distant Kuiper belt.
“Are mean-motion resonances (MMRs) with Planet Nine relevant to the dynamical evolution of the distant Kuiper belt? Strictly speaking, the answer is yes (Millholland and Laughlin, 2017; Becker et al., 2017; Hadden et al., 2018; Bailey et al., 2018)”
From The planet nine hypothesis (2019) · cites this paper as Becker et al., 2017
Even long-term stable KBOs do not remain bound to a single mean motion commensurability on Gyr timescales.
“implying that even long-term stable KBOs do not remain bound to a single mean motion commensurability on Gyr timescales (which is also seen in Becker et al. 2017; Hadden et al. 2018).”
From The planet nine hypothesis (2019) · cites this paper as Becker et al. 2017
Cites
A hybrid symplectic integrator that permits close encounters between massive bodies
Chambers, J. E. (1999) · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society · doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02379.x · Cited by 1,820 · see citing works
Evidence for a Distant Giant Planet in the Solar System
Batygin, K., & Brown, M. E. (2016) · The Astronomical Journal · doi:10.3847/0004-6256/151/2/22 · Cited by 432 · cited 25× · see citing works
“Batygin & Brown (2016b) uses the nominal Planet Nine orbit from Batygin & Brown (2016a) to explain the existence of a population of highly inclined KBOs with a ≤100: these objects can be explained as a migratory end-state of objects that started as members of the extreme TNO populations.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialA Sedna-like body with a perihelion of 80 astronomical units
Trujillo, C. A., & Sheppard, S. S. (2014) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature13156 · Cited by 303 · see citing works
Discovery of a Candidate Inner Oort Cloud Planetoid
Brown, M. E., Trujillo, C., & Rabinowitz, D. (2004) · The Astrophysical Journal · doi:10.1086/422095 · Cited by 242 · see citing works
Morbidelli, A., & Levison, H. F. (2004) · The Astronomical Journal · doi:10.1086/424617 · Cited by 193 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…1 Astronomy Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA 2 Physics Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA tions (Morbidelli & Levison 2004), where such interactions are relatively common in the birth cluster (Li & Adams 2015); third, through the presence of an…”
BackgroundObservational constraints on the orbit and location of Planet Nine in the outer solar system
Brown, M. E., & Batygin, K. (2016) · The Astrophysical Journal Letters · doi:10.3847/2041-8205/824/2/l23 · Cited by 112 · cited 12× · see citing works
“Notably, similar dynamical stability arguments in Millholland & Laughlin (2017) produce a best-fit Planet Nine of 654 AU and 0.45 eccentricity, which is consistent with the overlap region between the results of this work and of Brown & Batygin (2016).”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialNew Extreme Trans-Neptunian Objects: Toward a Super-Earth in the Outer Solar System
Sheppard, S. S., & Trujillo, C. (2016) · The Astronomical Journal · doi:10.3847/1538-3881/152/6/221 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
INTERACTION CROSS SECTIONS AND SURVIVAL RATES FOR PROPOSED SOLAR SYSTEM MEMBER PLANET NINE
Li, G., & Adams, F. C. (2016) · The Astrophysical Journal Letters · doi:10.3847/2041-8205/823/1/l3 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
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Batygin, K., Adams, F. C., Brown, M. E., & Becker, J. C. (2019) · Physics Reports · doi:10.1016/j.physrep.2019.01.009 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
“Are mean-motion resonances (MMRs) with Planet Nine relevant to the dynamical evolution of the distant Kuiper belt? Strictly speaking, the answer is yes (Millholland and Laughlin, 2017; Becker et al., 2017; Hadden et al., 2018; Bailey et al., 2018), although their observational consequences are thus far relatively insi…”
BackgroundMethodSelf-citationGeneration of Low-inclination, Neptune-crossing Trans-Neptunian Objects by Planet Nine
Batygin, K., Morbidelli, A., Brown, M. E., & Nesvorný, D. (2024) · The Astrophysical Journal Letters · doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ad3cd2 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
“…system’s observed characteristics (Batygin & Brown 2016a,b; Brown & Batygin 2016; Beust 2016; Batygin & Morbidelli 2017; Millholland & Laughlin 2017; Becker et al. 2017; Sail-lenfest et al. 2017; Hadden et al. 2018; Li et al. 2018; Becker et al. 2018; Batygin et al. 2019; Kaib et al. 2019; Khain…”
Background
- Authors
- Becker, J. C., Adams, F. C., Khain, T., Hamilton, S. J., & Gerdes, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- Corresponding author
- Becker, Juliette C.
- Venue
- The Astronomical Journal
- Publisher
- American Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2017-07-20
- Volume
- 154
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 61
- ISSN
- 0004-6256 (ISSN-L)
- 1538-3881
- OpenAlex
- W2670655458
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 3.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- The Astronomical Journal (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1515015, 1053575, 1256260)
- U.S. Department of Energy (ACI-1053575)
- Office of Science
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Space Satellite Systems and Control
- Keywords
- Planet Nine, trans-Neptunian objects, orbital stability, mean motion resonance, planet migration, Sedna
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