Effects of neighbouring planets on the formation of resonant dust rings in the inner Solar System

Abstract

Context. Findings by the Helios and STEREO mission have indicated the presence of a resonant circumsolar ring of dust associated with Venus. Attempts to model this phenomenon as an analogue to the resonant ring of Earth -as a result of migrating dust trapped in external mean-motion resonances (MMRs) -have so far been unable to reproduce the observed dust feature. Other theories of origin have recently been put forward. However, the reason for the low trapping efficiency of Venus's external MMRs remains unclear. Aims. Here we look into the nature of the dust trapping resonant phenomena that arise from the multi-planet configuration of the inner Solar System, aiming to add to the existent understanding of resonant dust rings in single planet systems. Methods. We numerically modelled resonant dust features associated with the inner planets and specifically looked into the dependency of these structures and the trapping efficiency of particular resonances on the configuration of planets. Results. Besides Mercury showing no resonant interaction with the migrating dust cloud, we find Venus, Earth, and Mars to considerably interfere with each other's resonances, influencing their ability to form circumsolar rings. We find that the single most important reason for the weakness of Venus's external MMR ring is the perturbing influence of its outer neighbour -Earth. In addition, we find Mercury and Mars to produce crescent-shaped density features, caused by a directed apsidal precession occurring in particles traversing their orbital region.

Helios spacecraft data revisited: detection of cometary meteoroid trails by following in situ dust impacts

“…Interestingly, the STEREO observations showed a steplike increase in the dust density on the inner side of Venus' orbit while there was no drop in dust density detected on the outer side. Furthermore, dynamical modelling indicates that relatively small particles as measured by Helios ( 10 µm) cannot be effectively trapped in resonances with Venus due to the stronger Poynting-Robertson drag and thus are unlikely to contribute to a dust enhancement in the Venus ring (Pokorný & Kuchner 2019;Sommer et al 2020). The relatively weak enhancement in dust density together with the required large particle sizes makes it unlikely that Helios detected impacts by Venus dust ring particles at η = 135 • , although their impact speed and directions are in the same range as those of the cometary trail particles ( Fig.…”

Helios spacecraft data revisited: Detection of cometary meteoroid trails by in-situ dust impacts

“…Interesting enough, the STEREO observations showed a steplike increase in the dust density on the inner side of Venus' orbit while there was no drop in dust density detected on the outer side. Furthermore, dynamical modelling indicates that relatively small particles as measured by Helios ( 10 µm) cannot be effectively trapped in resonances with Venus due to the stronger Poynting-Robertson drag and thus are unlikely to contribute to a dust enhancement in the Venus ring (Pokorný & Kuchner 2019;Sommer et al 2020). The relatively weak enhancement in dust density together with the required large particle sizes makes it unlikely that at η = 135 • Helios detected impacts by Venus dust ring particles, although their impact speed and directions are in the same range as those of the cometary trail particles (Figure 7;…”

Modeling Meteoroid Impacts on the Juno Spacecraft

“…Particles with D 2.5 μm (β 0.383) can be ejected from the Martian Hill sphere to Jupiter-crossing orbits due to radiation pressure, which leads to a more complex dynamical evolution due to frequent interactions with Jupiter and its mean-motion resonances. Particles with D 5 μm experience a simple Poynting-Robertson drag-induced decay in semimajor axis a and eccentricity circularization (e → 0) and occasional trapping in one of many mean-motion resonances with terrestrial planets similar to dust particles released from the main belt (see, e.g., Sommer et al 2020). Mean-motion resonances temporarily trap migrating dust particles, which stall the particles from spiraling toward the Sun and pump the particles' eccentricities, but ultimately do not play a major role in the global shape of the dust cloud generated from the Martian Hill sphere.…”