Dynamics of trans-Neptunian objects near the 3/1 mean-motion resonance with Neptune

Abstract

The complex classification of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) that are captured in mean-motion resonances (MMRs) and the constraint of their multiple origins are two significant open problems concerning the Solar System. The case-by-case study of the different MMRs and their characteristics provide information about their origin and dynamics, which helps us to understand the early stages of the Solar System evolution. In this paper, we study the dynamics of the detected TNOs close to a 3/1 MMR with Neptune. We initially use a semi-analytic three-body model to investigate the coplanar secular dynamics of these objects and find the stationary points. We then use surface sections and stability maps to analyse the non-averaged dynamics. These methods allow us to isolate the different stability regions and determine the extent of the chaotic regions. We show that stability maps are an extremely powerful tool for studying the resonant dynamics when they are computed in terms of the resonant angle. We then use these maps to study the non-planar three-body problem and the full dynamics in the presence of planetary perturbations. We confirm that TNOs near the 3/1 MMR regions can exist at very high inclinations. In the framework of the three-body problem, many of these objects can also be stable outside the 3/1 MMR owing to a Kozai secular resonance. However, when we take into account the perturbations of the four giant planets, the Kozai regions disappear and only the 3/1 MMR region remains, with eccentricities e ≲ 0.5.