Tadpole type motion of charged dust in the Lagrange problem with planet Jupiter

Lhotka

2022

A&A

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In recent years, observations have found evidence for dust at higher ecliptic latitudes. Different possible explanations for these signatures have been proposed, most commonly assuming that they originate from collisions of young asteroid families. In the present work, we investigate the influence of the interplanetary magnetic field causing strong latitudinal oscillations that may affect the creation and evolution of dust at these latitudes. Using numerical simulations of a charged dust particle affected by the Lorentz force, we analyse the effect of a simplified magnetic field model specifically on the long-term evolution of the orbital plane of the dust grain. Additionally, we demonstrate the significant agreement with the results of the semi-analytical secular-resonant model we have developed for charged particles in co-orbital motion with a planet. We have found that the interplanetary magnetic field determines the three-dimensional distribution of micron-sized dust grains, causing large excursions of the orbital inclination that distribute the particles to high ecliptic latitudes. The strength of these oscillations depends in particular on the particle size and on the distance to the Sun. Farther outwards in the Solar System, the particle amplitudes are larger.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Latitudinal dynamics of co-orbital charged dust in the heliosphere

Lhotka

2022

A&A

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Latitudinal variations of charged dust in co-orbital resonance with Jupiter

Lhotka²

2019

Proc. IAU

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The interplanetary magnetic field may cause large amplitude changes in the orbital inclinations of charged dust particles. In order to study this effect in the case of dust grains moving in 1:1 mean motion resonance with planet Jupiter, a simplified semi-analytical model is developed to reduce the full dynamics of the system to the terms containing the information of the secular evolution dominated by the Lorentz force. It was found that while the planet causes variations in all orbital elements, the influence of the magnetic field most heavily impacts the long-term evolution of the inclination and the longitude of the ascending node. The simplified secular-resonant model recreates the oscillations in these parameters very well in comparison to the full solution, despite neglecting the influence of the magnetic field on the other orbital parameters.

Dynamics of dust and meteoroids due to electromagnetic transport in the heliosphere

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Lhotka

2023

Observations of dust in the Solar System have indicated the existence of structures at higher ecliptic latitudes, the origin of which is still an ongoing debate. In a previous study, we studied how the interplanetary magnetic field affects the orbital motion of charged dust particles that are moving in co-orbital motion with Jupiter. Our findings revealed that the Lorentz force causes oscillations in orbital inclinations that lead to electromagnetic transport of the dust particles to higher ecliptic latitudes. In the present work, using numerical simulations, we investigate how this transportation depends on orbital lifetime, strength of the background magnetic field, planetary mass, and distance from the Sun. In addition, we study the dynamics also outside resonance. We present our findings using the saturation curve, which gives a relation between the maximum amplitude in inclination with respect to the particle size ranging from 1-501μm. We further study the influence of the solar radiation pressure, the Poynting-Robertson and the solar wind effect on the shape of the saturation curve and find that a stronger gravitational influence of the planet leads to a steeper curve, decreasing the strength of the electromagnetic transport. The radiative forces lead to a gradual dampening of the latitudinal oscillations of particles inside resonance, while they are unchanged for objects outside of resonance. We argue that the dynamics of dust and meteoroids in the Solar System can only be understood by including Lorentz force that is triggered by the activity of the Sun.