Open AccessExploring S‐type orbits in the Pluto–Charon binary system
Author(s) -
Winter S. M. Giuliatti,
Winter O. C.,
Guimarães A. H. Fernandes,
Silva M. R.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.16302.x
Subject(s) - pluto , physics , eccentricity (behavior) , celestial mechanics , binary number , orbit (dynamics) , three body problem , astrophysics , planar , type (biology) , periodic orbits , planet , astronomy , classical mechanics , geology , arithmetic , mathematics , paleontology , computer graphics (images) , engineering , political science , computer science , law , aerospace engineering
This work generates, through a sample of numerical simulations of the restricted three‐body problem, diagrams of semimajor axis and eccentricity which defines stable and unstable zones for particles in S‐type orbits around Pluto and Charon. Since we consider initial conditions with 0 ≤ e ≤ 0.99 , we found several new stable regions. We also identified the nature of each one of these newly found stable regions. They are all associated to families of periodic orbits derived from the planar circular restricted three‐body problem. We have shown that a possible eccentricity of the Pluto–Charon system slightly reduces, but does not destroy, any of the stable regions.