Long-Term Evolution of the Saturnian System

Here we present the current state of knowledge on the long-term evolution of Saturn’s moon system due to tides within Saturn. First we provide some background on tidal evolution, orbital resonances and satellite tides.

Then we address in detail some of the present and past orbital resonances between Saturn’s moons (including the Enceladus-Dione and Titan-Hyperion resonances) and what they can tell us about the evolution of the system. We also present the current state of knowledge on the spin-axis dynamics of Saturn: we discuss arguments for a (past or current) secular resonance of Saturn’s spin precession with planetary orbits, and explain the links of this resonance to the tidal evolution of Titan and a possible recent cataclysm in the Saturnian system.

We also address how the moons’ orbital evolution, including resonances, affects the evolution of their interiors. Finally, we summarize the state of knowledge about the Saturnian system’s long-term evolution and discuss prospects for future progress.

Matija Ćuk, Maryame El Moutamid, Giacomo Lari, Marc Neveu, Francis Nimmo, Benoît Noyelles, Alyssa Rhoden, Melaine Saillenfest

Comments: Accepted for Space Science Reviews. Chapter in the book based on the ISSI workshop “New Vision of the Saturnian System in the Context of a Highly Dissipative Saturn” (9-13 May 2022)
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:2401.15797 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2401.15797v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
Submission history
From: Matija Cuk
[v1] Sun, 28 Jan 2024 22:57:01 UTC (928 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.15797
Astrobiology