Asteroid secular dynamics: Ceres' fingerprint identified

TL;DR

This paper uncovers a significant secular resonance between Ceres and other asteroids, revealing a dominant dynamical influence in parts of the asteroid belt and reshaping our understanding of small body dynamics.

Contribution

It identifies a previously overlooked secular resonance with Ceres as a major factor in asteroid belt dynamics, demonstrated through numerical analysis of the Hoffmeister family.

Findings

Secular resonance with Ceres influences asteroid orbits.

Post-impact evolution of Hoffmeister family linked to Ceres resonance.

Resonance effects likely present in other asteroid belt regions.

Abstract

Here we report on the significant role of a so far overlooked dynamical aspect, namely a secular resonance between the dwarf planet Ceres and other asteroids. We demonstrate that this type of secular resonance can be the dominant dynamical factor in certain regions of the main asteroid belt. Specifically, we performed a dynamical analysis of the asteroids belonging to the (1726) Hoffmeister family. To identify which dynamical mechanisms are actually at work in this part of the main asteroid belt, i.e. to isolate the main perturber(s), we study the evolution of this family in time. The study is accomplished using numerical integrations of test particles performed within different dynamical models. The obtained results reveal that the post-impact evolution of the Hoffmeister asteroid family is a direct consequence of the nodal secular resonance with Ceres. This leads us to the conclusion that similar effects must exist in other parts of the asteroid belt. In this respect, the obtained results shed light on an important and entirely new aspect of the long-term dynamics of small bodies. Ceres' fingerprint in asteroid dynamics, expressed through the discovered secular resonance effect, completely changes our understanding of the way in which perturbations by Ceres-like objects affect the orbits of nearby bodies.