It's Complicated: A Big Data Approach to Exploring Planetesimal Evolution in the Presence of Jovian Planets

Previous studies have suggested that the scattered disk is populated by planetesimals that once orbited in the reservoirs between the Jovian planets. Other studies have concluded that the source region for the Centaurs and Jupiter family comets (JFCs) is the scattered disk. Still other studies have...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Astronomical journal 2018-11, Vol.156 (5), p.232
Main Authors: Grazier, Kevin R., Castillo-Rogez, Julie C., Horner, Jonathan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Big Data
Centaurs
Comets
comets: general
Complexity
Computer architecture
Data mining
Jupiter
Kuiper belt: general
minor planets, asteroids: general
Planet formation
Planetary evolution
Planets
planets and satellites: dynamical evolution and stability
planets and satellites: formation
Scattered-disk objects
Solar system
Voyager 1 spacecraft
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Previous studies have suggested that the scattered disk is populated by planetesimals that once orbited in the reservoirs between the Jovian planets. Other studies have concluded that the source region for the Centaurs and Jupiter family comets (JFCs) is the scattered disk. Still other studies have suggested dynamical links between Centaurs and JFCs. The overarching goal of this study is to build upon our previous work and, using data mining techniques derived from big data applications, explore a database of close planet/planetesimal approaches in order to both examine these claims and demonstrate how complicated the trajectories of planetesimals wending between the Jovian planets can be-as they are subjected to impulsive alterations by close planetary encounters and resonant effects. Our results show that Centaurs, JFCs, and scattered disk objects are not dynamically distinct populations, and the paths planetesimals take over their lifetimes can be extremely complex. An understanding of this complexity offers solutions to other outstanding questions about the current solar system architecture.
ISSN:0004-6256
1538-3881
DOI:10.3847/1538-3881/aae095