Tilting Styx and Nix but not Uranus with a Spin-Precession-Mean-motion resonance

Abstract

A Hamiltonian model is constructed for the spin axis of a planet perturbed by a nearby planet with both planets in orbit about star. We expand the planet-planet gravitational potential perturbation to first order in orbital inclinations and eccentricities, finding terms describing spin resonances involving the spin precession rate and the two planetary mean motions. Convergent planetary migration allows the spinning planet to be captured into spin resonance. With initial obliquity near zero, the spin resonance can lift the planet's obliquity to near 90 or 180 degrees depending upon whether the spin resonance is first or zero-th order in inclination. Past capture of Uranus into such a spin resonance could give an alternative non-collisional scenario accounting for Uranus's high obliquity. However we find that the time spent in spin resonance must be so long that this scenario cannot be responsible for Uranus's high obliquity. Our model can be used to study spin resonance in satellite systems. Our Hamiltonian model explains how Styx and Nix can be tilted to high obliquity via outward migration of Charon, a phenomenon previously seen in numerical simulations.

Submitted to Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy

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• Tilting Planets During Planet Scattering
• Eta-Earth Revisited II: Deriving a Maximum Number of Earth-like Habitats in the Galactic Disk
• Cassini states of a rigid body with a liquid core
• Tilting Uranus via Secular Spin-Orbit Resonance with Planet 9
• Impact of a moon on the evolution of a planet's obliquity: a non-resonant case