Solar System Dynamics

The solar system is a complex and fascinating dynamical system. This is the first textbook
to describe comprehensively the dynamical features of the Solar System and to provide
students with all the necessary mathematical tools and physical models they need to
understand how it works.
Clearly written and well illustrated, Solar System Dynamics provides students with a
complete introduction to understanding the intricate and often beautiful resonant struc-
ture of the solar system. Step by step, it shows how a basic knowledge of the two- and
three-body problems and perturbation theory can be combined to understand features as
diverse as the tidal heating of Jupiter's moon Io, the unusual rotation of Saturn's moon
Hyperion, the origin of the Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt, the radial structure of
Satum's A ring, and the long-term stability of the solar system. Problems at the end of
each chapter and a free Internet Mathematica@ software package (that includes anima-
tions and computational tools) are provided to help students to test and develop their
understanding.
Solar System Dynamics provides students with a clear, comprehensive, and authori-
tative textbook for courses on solar system dynamics, planetary dynamics, and celestial
mechanics. It also provides the necessary mathematical tools for them to tackle more
general courses on dynamics, dynamical systems, applications of chaos theory, and non-
linear dynamics. This is a benchmark publication in the field of planetary dynamics and
destined to become a classic.

CARL MURRAY is Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at eueen Mary and west-
field College, London. In addition to scientific papers, he enjoys writing popular articles
on the solar system. He is an associate editor of the journals lcarus and Celestial Me-
chanics and Dynamical Astronomy as well as being a member of the Imaging Team
of lhe Cassini mission to Saturn. Asteroid 5598 was officially named Carlmurray in
recognition of his contribution to planetary science.

STAN DERMOTT is Professor of Astronomy and chairman of the Depafment of Astron-

omy at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He is currently also a University of Florida
Research Foundation Professor and a coinvestigator on the Cosmic Dust Experiment on
the Galileo spacecraft. Asteroid 3647 was officially named Dermott in his honour.
SOLAR SYSTEM DYNAMICS

CARL D. MURRAY
Queen Mary and Westfield College,
University of London

STANLEY F. DERMOTT
University of Florida, Gainesville

ffiffiCauBRrDGE
Q@ uxrvnRsrrY PRESS
PUBLISHED BY THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK http://www.cup.ac.uk
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10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melboume 3166, Austratia
Ruiz de Alarcn 13,28014 Madrid, Spain

@ Carl D. Murray and Stanley F. Dermott 1999

This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception

and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without
the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

Excerpt from "Joumey of the Magi" in COLLECTED POEMS: L909-1962

by T. S. Eliot, copyright 1936 by Harcourt, Inc., copyright @ 1964,1963
by T. S. Eliot, reprinted by permission of the publisher.

First published 1999

Printed in the United States of America

Typeface Times Roman I 1/13 pt. Sysrern IATf [rn]

A catalog record for this book is available from the Britsh Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Murray, Carl D.
Solar system dynamics / Carl D. Murray, Stanley F. Dermott.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-521-57295-9 (hc.). - ISBN 0-521-57597-4 (.pbk.)
l. Solar system. 2. Celestial mechanics. I. Dermott, S. F.
II. Title.
Q8500.s.M87 t999
523.2 - dc2t 99-19679
CIP

ISBN 0 521 57295 t hardback

ISBN 0 521 57597 4 paperback
Acht chena is laind cech nderg,
is gel cach na,
is can cech ard, is serb cech gnth.
Cad cech n-cmais, is faill cech n-aichnid
co festar cech n-olas.

All that is red is beautiful,

and all that is new is bright,
all that is high is lovely, all that is familiar is bitter.
The unknown is honoured, the known is neglected,
until all knowledge is known.

Anonymous, Irish, ninth century, The Sick-Bed of C Chulainn

 In Memory of

Frank Murray

He was a man, take him for all in all,

I shall not look upon his like again.
William Shakespeare, Hamlet, I, ii

and

Geraldine Murphy

At the end we preferred to travel all night,

Sleeping in snatches
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.
T. S. Eliot, Iourney of the Magi
 Contents

Preface xll1

1 Structure ofthe Solar System 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 The Belief in Number 2

1.3 Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion 3
1.4 Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation 4
1.5 The Titius-Bode "Law" 5
1.6 Resonance in the Solar System 9
1.7 The Preference for Commensurability 15
1.8 RecentDevelopments t7
Exercise Questions t9

2 The Two-Body Problem 22

2.1 Introduction 22
2.2 Equations of Motion 23
2.3 Orbitat Position and Velocity 25
2.4 The Mean and Eccentric Anomalies 32
2.5 EllipticExpansions 3t
2.6 The Guiding Centre Approximation 42
2.7 Barycentric Orbits 45
2.8 The Orbit in Space 48
2.9 Perturbed Orbits 54
2.10 Hamiltonian Formulation 57
Exercise Questions 60

3 The Restricted Three-Body Problem 63

3.1 Introduction 63
3.2 Equations of Motion 64
3.3 The Jacobi Integral 68

vii
vlll Contents

3.4 The Tisserand Relation 7l

3.5 Lagrangian Equilibrium Points 74
3.6 Location of Equilibrium Points 77
3.7 Stability of Equilibrium Points 83
3.8 Motion near L4 and L5 95
3.9 Tadpole and Horseshoe Orbits 97
3.10 Orbits and Zero-Velocity Curves 102
3.11 Trojan Asteroids and Satellites t07
3.I2 Janus and Epimetheus 110
3.13 Hill's Equations 115
3.14 The Effects of Drag 121
Exercise Questions 128

4 Tides, Rotation, and Shape 130

4.1 Introduction 130
4.2 The Tidal Bulge t3t
4.3 Potential Theory 136
4.4 Tidal Deformation t40
4.5 RotationalDeformation 149
4.6 The Darwin-Radau Relation 153
4.7 Shapes and Intemal Structures of Satellites 155
4.8 The Roche Zone 158
4.9 Tidal Torques 160
4.10 Satellite Tides t66
4.ll Tidal Heating of Io t74
4.12 Tides on Titan 115
4.13 Tidal Evolution 178
4.14 The Double Synchronous State 183
Exercise Questions 186

5 Spin-Orbit Coupling 189

5.1 Introduction 189
5.2 Tidal Despinning 189
5.3 The Permanent Quadrupole Moment t94
5.4 Spin-OrbitResonance 200
5.5 Capture into Resonance 2t0
5.6 Forced Librations 215
5.7 Surface of Section 217
Exercise Questions 222

6 The Disturbing Function ))<

6.1 Introduction 225
6.2 The Disturbing Function 226
6.3 Expansion Using Legendre Polynomials 228
 Contents ix

6.4 Literal Expansion in Orbital Elements 233

6.5 Literal Expansion to Second Order 238
6.6 Terms Associated with a Specif,c Argument 246
6.7 Use of the Disturbing Function 248
6.8 Lagrange's Planetary Equations 25t
6.9 Classiflcation of Arguments in the Disturbing Function 253
6.10 Sample Calculations of the Averaged Disturbing Function 26t
6.11 The Effect of Planetary Oblateness 264
Exercise Questions 270

7 Secular Perturbations 274

7.I Introduction 274
7.2 Secular Perturbations for Two Planets 274
7.3 Jupiter and Saturn 279
7.4 Free and Forced Elements 283
7.5 Jupiter, Satum, and a Test Particle 289
7.6 Gauss's Averaging Method 293
7.7 GeneralisedSecularPerturbations 299
7.8 Secular Theory for the Solar System 302
7.9 Generalised Free and Forced Elements 307
7.10 Hirayama Families and the IRAS Dust Bands 309
7.11 Secular Resonance 3t4
1.12 Higher Order Secular Theory 3t7
Exercise Questions 318

I Resonant Perturbations 321

8.1 Introduction 321
8.2 The Geometry of Resonance 32t
8.3 The Physics of Resonance 326
8.4 Variation of Orbital Elements 328
8.5 Resonance in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem 332
8.6 The Pendulum Model 334
8.7 Libration Width 33 I
8.8 The Hamiltonian Approach 341
8.9 The 2:l Resonance 364
8.10 The 3:1 andT:4 Resonances 37t
8.11 Additional Resonances and Resonance Splitting 373
8-I2 ResonantEncounters 375
8.13 The Dynamics of Capture and Evolution in Resonance 385
8.14 Two-Body Resonances in the Solar System 387
8.15 Resonant Encounters in Satellite Systems 390
8.16 Three-body Resonance 394
8.17 The Laplace Resonance 396
x Contents

8.18 Secular and Resonant Motion 399

8.19 LONGSTOP Uranus 402
8.20 Pulsar Planets 405
Exercise Questions 406

9 Chaos and Long-Term Evolution 409

9.1 Introduction 409
9.2 Sensitive Dependence on Initial Conditions 4t0
9.3 Regular and Chaotic Orbits 413
9.4 Chaos in the Circular Restricted Problem 42t
9.5 Algebraic Mappings 428
9.6 Separatrices and Resonance Overlap 448
9.7 The Rotation of Hyperion 452
9.8 The Kirkwood Gaps 456
9.9 The Neptune-Pluto System 466
9.10 The Stability of the Solar System 469
Exercise Questions 47t
10 Planetary Rings 474
10.1 Introduction 474
10.2 Planetary Ring Systems 475
10.3 Resonances in Rings 481
10.4 Density Waves and Bending Waves 492
10.5 Narrow Rings and Sharp Edges 495
10.6 The Encke Gap and Pan 512
10.7 The F Ring of Saturn 515
10.8 The Adams Ring of Neptune 518
10.9 The Evolution of Rings 520
10.10 The Earth's Dust Ring 522
Exercise Questions 524

Appendix A: Solar System Data 526

A.1 Introduction 526
A.2 AstronomicalConstants 526
A.3 Julian Date 527
A.4 Orbital Elements of the Planets and Their Variation 529
A.5 Planets, Satellites, and Rings s30
A.6 Asteroids, Centaurs, Trans-Neptunian Objects, and Comets 535

Appendix B: Expansion of the Disturbing Function 539

References 557

Index 577
 Preface

What is a Man,
If his chief good and market of his time
Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.
Sure, he that made us with such large discourse,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and god-like reason
To fust in us unused.

William Shakespeare, Hamlet, N, iv

We are living in a new age of discovery. The major voyages of exploration in

the flfteenth and sixteenth centuries have modern parallels in the interplanetary
spacecraft missions that have "discovered" our solar system. The data from
these spacecraft combined with ground-based observations have revealed a solar
system that is more than a collection of planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, and
dust distributed in some arbitrary fashion: It has an intricate dynamical structure,
which can be largely understood by the application of a simple inverse square
law of force to its constituent bodies. To understand the dynamical structure and
evolution of the solar system we must therefore understand the qualitative and
quantitative effects of the universal law of gravitation.
We consider solar system dynamics to be the application of the techniques
of celestial mechanics to solve real problems in planetary science. There are
several classical texts on celestial mechanics and many are still in use today.
These include the books by Plummer (1918), Brown & Shook (1933), Brouwer
& Clemence, (1961) and, more recently Danby (1988). The books by Hagihara
(1970,1972a,b,1974a,b,1975a,b,1976a,b) are authoritative works of reference
but make little attempt to convey understanding. In many ways our own effort
is an extension of the book by Roy (1988) and should, perhaps, be read in

xl
xii Preface

conjunction with it, even though we have attempted to make our book as self-
contained as possible. Although most of the subjects covered in this book
are

discussed in ihe scientific literature, they afe not conveniently located in one

comprehensive (and comprehensible) source. Therefore, our ovelriding

aim
*u, io write a book that w would have liked to have read when we were starting
out as researchers.
By writing this book we have attempted to give a comprehensive outline of
to
the asic techniques of solar system dynamics together with their application
actual problems. This field, like the solar system itself, is continually
evolving
and so this book has to be regarded as our personal perception of the important
principles and areas of research in the subject at this time; in our choice of subject
on'
mattei and examples we have been biased toward areas that we have worked
As a consequence topics such as lunar theory, geophysics, and Cassini states
is a
are not covred in thii edition. Nevertheless, we believe that our selection
representative survey of the field'
we have included exercise questions at the end of every chapter. It should be
clear that access to a computer and some programming ability will be required
to answer some of these questions. This is deliberate and reflects the fact that
many of the recent breakthroughs in solar system dynamics have resulted
from
the use of comPuters.
In the .ourrl of producing this book we have developed a variety of pro-
grams written in Mthematiia@. ln order to enhance the educational value
of
the book the source code of these programs together with several animations
that help to illustrate dynamical phenomena in the solar system are available
at http:ilcup.cam.ac.ukl0521575974. The site is also being used to document
known errors in the text. Readers of the book ale encoulaged to consult the site
regularly.
-tt
uttirnute goal of solar system dynamics is to understand the dynamical
"
origin, evolution, and stability of the bodies that make up our local environment
but
in s"pace. Even without new observations many problems remain to be solved,
soli system dynamicists believe that they now understand the basic mechanisms
No
that hve determined the structure of our own and other planetary systems'
doubt the next generation of planetary spacecraft missions will discover
new
phenomenar"qriring new explanations from the next generation of dynamicists'
bur only hope is that this Uoot< witt still serve as a useful source of information
and methods when that time comes.

Acknowledgments
given
This book has been prepared from the lecture notes of courses we have
at our respective institutions and it is intended for postgraduate students or
re-
searchers new to this field. We are grateful to the many students and colleagues
who have pointed out errors and suggested improvements to the various drafts
of
 Preface xlll

the text that have appeared over the years. In particular we wish to thank Apos-
tolos Christou, Keren Ellis, Mitch Gordon, Sean Greaves, Tom Kehoe, Helena
Morais, and Othon Winter for their assistance and important contributions to the
text. Doug Hamilton and Carolyn Porco read and commented on early drafts,
and Phil Nicholson supplied some material for Chapters 4 and 6 as well as al-
lowed us to use exercise questions from his graduate course. Sumita Jayaraman
and Jer-Chyi Liou provided data and calculations from their own work. Fathi
Namouni provided constructive comments on all aspects of the book, and we
thank him for suggesting several major improvements, paficularly to Chapters
8 and 10. We are grateful to Faber & Faber Limited and Harcourt, Inc. for
giving us permission to use an extract from T. S. Eliot's Journey of the Magi
and to Donal O'Ceallaigh for helping with the translation of the Ninth Century
quotation in Irish. Finally, we thank Kim and Margaret for their patience and
understanding throughout the many years it took to complete this book.