NUMERICAL EVIDENCE ON THE CHAOTIC NATURE OF THE 3 1 MEAN MOTION COMMENSURABILITY/

In this paper we examine some realistic numerical integrations of obje cts in the 3/1 commensurability. We show that, as pointed out by the a nalytic model in Moons and Morbidelli (1995, Icarus, 114, 33-50), the dynamics in the 3/1 commensurability is strongly chaotic due to the ov erlapping of secular resonances. As a consequence, the eccentricity of bodies in the 3/1 commensurability can increase to e similar or equal to 1 on a time scale of 1 Myr. This causes the 3/1 resonant asteroids to cross the orbit of the Earth and, possibly, to fall into the Sun. Therefore the 3/1 resonance is an active transport route of meteorites to the Earth. However, the collisions with the Sun can get rid of mos t potential meteorites before their encounter with the Earth. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.