The Dynamical Evolution of the Atens

Author: Dvorak, Rudolf

Source: Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, Volume 69, Numbers 1-2, October 1997 , pp. 103-118(16)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

In this investigation the orbits of 21 Atens (semimajor axes smaller than the Earth) are studied with the aid of numerical integrations over the time interval of one million years. The dynamical model was a 6-body Solar System, where the perturbations of Uranus and Neptune were ignored, and where Mercury's mass was added to the Sun's mass. Thus mean motion resonances, secular resonances and the Kozai resonance were fully taken into account. The evolution of the semimajor axes shows the typical step function like pattern which we know also from comets although some Atens have a very fuzzy development of the orbital elements, and some of them stay in a mean motion resonance for very long time. The evolution from Atens to Apollos (with semimajor axes larger than the Earth) and vice versa is also a phenomenon which we could observe. The main goal was the study of encounters of the Atens with the Earth and Venus. We found out that Venus encounters occur somewhat more often than Earth encounters (approximately one within the distance Earth - Moon every 40000 years with Venus, one every 50000 years with the Earth).

Keywords: Asteroids; resonances; Earth encounters

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1008326332229

Affiliations: 1: Institute of Astronomy, University of Vienna, Türkenschanzstr. 17, A - 1180, Vienna, Austria,

Publication date: 1997-10-01