Simulations of dense planetary rings. III. Self-gravitating identical particles.
Simulations of dense planetary rings. III. Self-gravitating identical particles.
复制标题
密集行星环的模拟。
DOI:
10.1006/icar.1995.1157
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发表时间:
1995
期刊:
影响因子:
3.2
通讯作者:
H. Salo
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
H. Salo
Abstract The dynamical behavior of collisional ring systems is studied via a local simulation which includes mutual gravitational forces between particles. Direct force calculations involving up to a few thousand identical particles are employed, with parameter values appropriate to Saturn's rings. Different factors affecting the collisional steady state are studied, including two-particle gravitational encounters, the formation of collective Julian-Toomre wakes, and even the development of particle groups. These simulations indicate that the equilibrium radial velocity dispersion c x tends to be dominated by that factor which alone would yield the largest random motion. In the case of a constant coefficient of restitution ϵ among nongravitating particles, the equilibrium c x never exceeds a few times r Ω, where r is the particle radius and Ω is the orbital angular velocity. With self-gravity, gravitational encounters soon dominate, even when the surface density is small, and c x is then close to the escape speed from individual particles. With increased surface density, scattering by collective wakes becomes yet more important, and c x corresponds to the Toomre parameter Q T ≈ 2. For Saturn's A-ring this implies a multilayered structure with strongly enhanced velocity dispersion, c x , reaching values ≈15rΩ for surface densities ≈500 kg m -2 . The implied c x ≈ ( r /1 m ) 0.2 cm s -1 agrees qualitatively with estimates based on the damping of density waves. Gravitational wakes are also expected for the rings of Uranus. In principle, velocity-dependent dissipation corresponding to values ϵ ≥ 0.6 would suppress the wake structure. However, the azimuthal asymmetry of Saturn's A-ring gives strong support to the existence of wakes, with the simulated pitch angles of order 20°-25° being in good agreement with those required by observations. This agreement suggests that the effective values of ϵ in that ring is closer to zero than implied by recent laboratory experiments of impacts between solid ice balls. Likewise, assuming reasonable densities and dissipation, the present simulations indicate for Saturn's rings that the collective wakes begin to degrade into actual particle groups at distances a ≥ 125,000 km from that planet. Beyond a ≈ 140,000 km, such clumps seem to be very stable. The simulated aggregates have r p ≈ 0.7-0.9, where r p is the minor axis radius of the agregate relative to its Hill's radius.