Dynamics of the Pluto-Charon?s satellite system

T. A. MICHTCHENKO; A. A. ALMEIDA; A. RODRIGUEZ; C. A. GIUPPONE

Punta del Este

Congreso; X Taller de Ciencias Planetarias; 2020

Sede Maldonado del Centro Universitario Regional del Este (CURE)

We analyze the phase space of the Pluto-Charon dynamical system composed of the very small moons, Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra. The physical and orbital parameters of the bodies are taken from the JPL´s HORIZONS system (https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?horizons). Using the tools of the SAM Spectral Analysis Method), we construct the stability maps on the a-e and a-i planes, where a, e and i are the semimajor axis, the eccentricity and the inclination in the pseudo-Jacobian coordinate system, where the mutual interactions between the small moons are neglected. We verify that, in the chosen reference frame, the orbits of all satellites are nearly circular, nearly planar and nearly resonant, in the sense of mean-motion resonances. No instabilities are found in the moon´s motions. The nearly-behaviour of the system allows us to conclude that its AMD(Angular Momentum Deficit) is very close to zero. We suggest that this peculiar feature could be a consequence of the long-lasting injection of angular momentum in the moon´s system from the tidal interaction betweenPluto and Charon. This can provoke the secular migration of the moons according to the scenario proposed in Michtchenko and Rodríguez (MNRAS, 2011). The footprints of this migration process in the current orbitalconfiguration of the system are discussed.