A modified "Type I migration" model for propeller moons in Saturn's rings

Abstract

We propose a mechanism for the observed non-keplerian motion (Tiscareno et al. 2010, ApJL) of "propeller" moons embedded in Saturn's rings. Our mechanism, in which radial variations in surface density -- external to, and unaffected by, the embedded moon -- result in an equilibrium semimajor axis for the moon due to "Type I" angular momentum exchange (Crida et al. 2010, AJ), provides a good fit to the observations. Future observations should distinguish between our model and others recently proposed.

10 pages, 7 figures; Accepted to Planetary & Space Science

References in corpus (3)

• The population of propellers in Saturn's A Ring
• Care and feeding of frogs
• Stochastic orbital migration of small bodies in Saturn's rings

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Migration of small moons in Saturn's rings
• Incomplete cooling down of Saturn's A ring at solar equinox: Implication for seasonal thermal inertia and internal structure of ring particles
• Mean Motion Resonances With Nearby Moons: An Unlikely Origin For The Gaps Observed In The Ring Around The Exoplanet J1407b
• A Librational Model for the Propeller Blériot in the Saturnian Ring System
• Hydrodynamic Simulations of Asymmetric Propeller Structures in Saturn's Rings