The Dynamical Viability of an Extended Jupiter Ring System

Abstract

Planetary rings are often speculated as being a relatively common attribute of giant planets, partly based on their prevalence within the solar system. However, their formation and sustainability remain a topic of open discussion, and the most massive planet within our planetary system harbors a very modest ring system. Here, we present the results of an N-body simulation that explores dynamical constraints on the presence of substantial ring material for Jupiter. Our simulations extend from within the rigid satellite Roche limit to 10% of the Jupiter Hill radius, and include outcomes from 106 and 107 yr integrations. The results show possible regions of a sustained dense ring material presence around Jupiter that may comprise the foundation for moon formation. The results largely demonstrate the truncation of stable orbits imposed by the Galilean satellites, and dynamical desiccation of dense ring material within the range ∼3–29 Jupiter radii. We discuss the implications of these results for exoplanets, and the complex relationship between the simultaneous presence of rings and massive moon systems.

Dynamical Interactions and Mass Loss within the Uranian System

“…The sizes and masses of the largest Uranian moons with respect to Uranus are roughly proportional to the relative sizes and masses of the Galilean moons compared with Jupiter, consistent with a scaling of moon formation with the mass of the primary planet (Canup & Ward 2006). In addition to the gravitational effect of the orbiting moons on material surrounding the planet (Petit & Henon 1988;Nakajima et al 2020), such as the Laplace resonance effects of the Galilean moons (Malhotra 1991;Peale & Lee 2002;Kane & Li 2022), there are various other factors at work that both contribute to and remove such material (Daisaka et al 2001). Additions to material may originate from impacts and degassing events on moons (Esposito 2002).…”

“…Planetary ring material has a variety of sources, including collision events or the desiccation of moons and Kuiper Belt objects by tidal forces (Canup 2010;. The presence and sustainability of ring material is also an intricate function of the architecture of planetary moons, as well as the intrinsic properties of the planet itself (Petit & Henon 1988;Rubincam 2006;Nakajima et al 2020;Kane & Li 2022). Furthermore, the vast number of bodies orbiting the solar system outer planets has motivated numerous searches for exomoons (e.g., Kipping et al 2013;Heller et al 2014;Hill et al 2018) and rings (e.g., Arnold & Schneider 2004;Kenworthy & Mamajek 2015;Zuluaga et al 2015;Sucerquia et al 2020).…”