MODELING CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH OPIKS THEORY

Citation
Gb. Valsecchi et al., MODELING CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH OPIKS THEORY, Planetary and space science, 45(12), 1997, pp. 1561-1574
Citations number
11
Journal title
ISSN journal
00320633
Volume
45
Issue
12
Year of publication
1997
Pages
1561 - 1574
Database
ISI
SICI code
0032-0633(1997)45:12<1561:MCEWOT>2.0.ZU;2-I
Abstract
The results obtained by numerical integration of the equations of moti on of fictitious comets, in the restricted circular three-dimensional three-body problem, are compared with those obtained with Opik's theor y of close encounters, for an experimental set-up similar to that used by Froeschle and Rickman (1980-1981) to model both the infeed of come ts from the trans-jovian region into the Jupiter family and their subs equent orbital evolution within the family. The distributions of pertu rbations in orbital energy E, eccentricity e and inclination i are wel l reproduced by Opik's theory, as long as the comparison is made on th e outcomes only up to a certain unperturbed distance b(max); several v alues of the latter are experimented with and it is found that, surpri singly, Opik's theory seems to be still working reasonably well for th e values of b(max) in excess of several times the Hill's radius of the planet. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.