TY - CHAP

T1 - Dynamical environments of MU69

T2 - A state of chaotic clearing

AU - Lages, José

AU - Shevchenko, Ivan I.

PY - 2020/1/1

Y1 - 2020/1/1

N2 - The second (after Pluto) plausible target object for the New Horizons mission is 2014 MU69. It is a classical TNO, a primordial contact binary. Identifying any material in the vicinities of a target object is of an especial concern for planning cosmic fly-byes, as it is hazardous for a space probe. Luckily, no such material has been reported for MU69 up to now. The point of our report is that this lucky absence is just a dynamical consequence of the physical nature of MU69. Spinning gravitating dumbbells create zones of dynamical chaos around them, and this has a clearing effect: Any material put in orbits around a rotating dumbbell (e.g., any material ejected from its surface) cannot be long-lived in such zones; it either escapes into space, or returns to the parent body's surface. As the orbiting matter is removed in this way, a spinning gravitating dumbbell clears its vicinities. We show that MU69 is able to create such a clearing, making itself a safe and hospitable target for a space mission. Therefore, the guest probe is expected to be safe on arrival.

AB - The second (after Pluto) plausible target object for the New Horizons mission is 2014 MU69. It is a classical TNO, a primordial contact binary. Identifying any material in the vicinities of a target object is of an especial concern for planning cosmic fly-byes, as it is hazardous for a space probe. Luckily, no such material has been reported for MU69 up to now. The point of our report is that this lucky absence is just a dynamical consequence of the physical nature of MU69. Spinning gravitating dumbbells create zones of dynamical chaos around them, and this has a clearing effect: Any material put in orbits around a rotating dumbbell (e.g., any material ejected from its surface) cannot be long-lived in such zones; it either escapes into space, or returns to the parent body's surface. As the orbiting matter is removed in this way, a spinning gravitating dumbbell clears its vicinities. We show that MU69 is able to create such a clearing, making itself a safe and hospitable target for a space mission. Therefore, the guest probe is expected to be safe on arrival.

KW - asteroids

KW - Celestial mechanics

KW - Kuiper Belt

KW - minor planets

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077907390&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/3cd424e4-9292-3fda-a759-c27b30d4a053/

U2 - 10.1017/S1743921318008219

DO - 10.1017/S1743921318008219

M3 - Article in an anthology

AN - SCOPUS:85077907390

T3 - Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

SP - 227

EP - 229

BT - Origins: From the Protosun to the First Steps of Life

ER -