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On the Dynamics of the Inclination Instability
Ann-Marie Madigan1, Alexander Zderic1, Michael McCourt2
1JILA and Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, CU Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
The Astronomical Journal
|August 6, 2019
Summary
Secular gravitational torques drive an inclination instability in eccentric Kepler disks, causing orbits to grow in inclination and form a cone shape. This instability
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Orbital Dynamics
- Computational Physics
Background:
- Axisymmetric disks with eccentric Kepler orbits are susceptible to dynamical instabilities.
- These instabilities lead to significant changes in orbital parameters, including inclination and eccentricity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism driving the inclination instability in eccentric Kepler disks.
- To quantify the growth timescales of this instability using theoretical models and simulations.
Main Methods:
- Derivation of growth timescales using a Gauss N-ring code for a two-orbit model.
- Generalization to larger N systems through N-body simulations.
Main Results:
- Secular gravitational torques between orbits are identified as the primary drivers of the inclination instability.
- Two-body relaxation was found to slow instability growth at low N.
- Angular phase coverage is crucial for instability dynamics at higher N.
Conclusions:
- The inclination instability transforms disks into asymmetric cones.
- Simulation results align with secular theory predictions as N approaches infinity.
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