The Perturbation Theory Approach to Stability in the Scattered Disk

TL;DR

This paper extends a perturbation theory model for scattered disk objects by including higher-order gravitational effects of Neptune, revealing that complex resonance chains influence the chaotic dynamics and stability boundaries of distant minor bodies.

Contribution

It advances previous models by incorporating octupole and higher-order terms, showing that resonance chains, rather than individual resonances, govern chaos in the scattered disk.

Findings

Higher-order resonances dominate near Neptune's orbit.

Resonance chains explain the chaotic evolution of SDOs.

Stability boundaries are shaped by overlapping resonance series.

Abstract

Scattered disk objects (SDOs) are distant minor bodies that orbit the sun on highly eccentric orbits, frequently with perhelia near Neptune's orbit. Gravitational perturbations due to Neptune frequently lead to chaotic dynamics, with the degree of chaotic diffusion set by an object's perihelion distance. Batygin et al. (2021) developed a perturbative approach for scattered disk dynamics, finding that, to leading order in semi-major axis ratio, an infinite series of $2:j$ resonances drives the dynamics of the distant scattered disk, with overlaps between resonances driving chaotic motion. In this work we extend this model by taking the spherical harmonic expansion for Neptune's gravitational potential to octupole order and beyond. In continuing the expansion out to smaller semi-major axis limits, we find that the $1:j$ and $3:j$ resonances that emerge in the octupole expansion do not individually set new limits on the stability boundary. Instead, we find that for increasingly Neptune-proximate orbits, resonances of progressively higher index are dominant in explaining the emergence of chaotic behavior. In this picture, the mutual intersections between series of $2:j$, $3:j$, $4:j \dots,$ resonant chains explain local chaotic evolution of SDOs and shape the dynamical distribution of the population at large.