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Transverse halo orbits about Mars?
Author(s) -
Howard J. E.,
Krivov A. V.,
Spahn F.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2003gl017677
Subject(s) - micrometeoroid , physics , mars exploration program , ecliptic , meteoroid , astrobiology , solar wind , interplanetary dust cloud , martian , astronomy , orbital plane , venus , transverse plane , solar system , spacecraft , astrophysics , plasma , structural engineering , quantum mechanics , space debris , engineering
We predict a new family of charged dust rings about Mars, transverse to the ecliptic plane. These orbits are stable to the perturbations of planetary oblateness, Mars' orbital motion, and the solar wind. Lifetimes of individual orbits are limited primarily by the Lorentz force and Poynting‐Robertson drag, and may exceed 1000 years. They may be populated via collisions of micrometeoroids with one of the martian moons. Some of these small (≲1 μm) grains may be detected by the dust detector on board the Nozomi spacecraft now en route to Mars.