Here’s how interstellar objects and rogue planets get trapped in our solar system

When ‘Oumuamua crossed the solar system in 2017, it was the first confirmed interstellar object (ISO). And in 2019, Comet 2l/Borisov did the same thing. These are the only ISOs confirmed to visit our solar system. There have been many more ISOs in our solar system’s long history, and there will be many more in the future. Clearly, there are more of these objects, and it is expected that many more will be discovered at Vera Rubin Observatory in the future.

The Sun could capture an ISO or rogue planet in the same way that some planets captured moons.

It all comes down to phase space.

What would happen if our mature, sedate solar system suddenly added another member? That depends on the object’s mass and what orbit it ends up in. This is an interesting thought experiment. Borisov and ‘Oumuamua were small objects, but orbital disruptions could occur if a more massive rogue planet joins the solar system. It could change the course of life on Earth, but the chances of that happening are very low.

How likely is this scenario? A new research note in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamic Astronomy outlines how our solar system could obtain ISO. It’s titled “Permanent Capture in the Solar System,” and the authors are Edward Belbruno of Yeshiva University’s School of Mathematical Sciences and James Green, formerly of NASA and now with Space Science Endeavors.

Phase space is a mathematical expression that describes the state of a dynamical system like the solar system. Phase space uses coordinates that represent both position and momentum. It is like a multidimensional space containing all possible orbital configurations around the sun.

Phase space captures the state of a dynamic system by tracking both position and momentum properties. There is a capture point in our solar system’s phase space where we see that ISO is gravitationally bound to the Sun.

The phase space is complex and based on Hamiltonian mechanics. Orbital eccentricity, semimajor axis, orbital inclination, etc. are all affected. Topological space is best understood as a multidimensional landscape.

The phase space of our solar system contains two types of capture points: weak capture points and permanent capture points.

A weak capture point is a region in space where an object can be temporarily pulled into a semi-stable orbit. These points are often where the outer edges of the object’s gravitational boundaries meet. They are more like gravitational nudges than in-orbit recruitment.

A permanent capture point is an area in space where an object can be permanently captured in a stable orbit. The angular momentum and energy of an object are the precise configurations that allow it to maintain its orbit. In planetary systems, these permanent capture points are stable orbital configurations that persist for very long periods of time.

The phase space of our solar system is very complex, involving many moving objects and changes in their coordinates. Subtle changes in phase space coordinates allow objects to transition between persistent and weakly captured states. Similarly, the nuances of ISO and rogue planets can lead you to these points.

The authors explain ISO permanent capture in their research notes: “Permanent capture of a small body P around the Sun S from interstellar space ensures that P never enters interstellar space. This happens when it is unable to escape and remains captured.” It travels throughout the solar system without colliding with the sun. ” Purists will point out that nothing will ever be the same in the future, but the point remains.

Other researchers have also looked into this scenario, but this study goes a step further. “In addition to being permanently captured, P can also be weakly captured,” they write. It revolves around the three-body problem, which is notoriously difficult to solve.

Also, unlike previous studies that used Jupiter as a third object, this study uses the galactic tidal forces along with P and S as the third object. “This tidal force has a considerable influence on the structure of the velocity phase space,” they explain in their paper, “and what we are considering is range and distance from the Sun.”

This paper focuses on the theoretical properties of phase space and ISO capture. It studies “the dynamic and topological properties of a special type of permanent capture, called permanent weak capture, that occurs over an infinite period of time.” An object in a permanently weakly captured state will never escape, but will never reach a consistent and stable trajectory. It asymptotes to the acquisition set without colliding with the star.

Less discussed is that there are probably a large number of rogue planets. Stars form groups and eventually disperse over a wider area. Because stars have planets, some of these planets will be dispersed by gravitational interactions before the nascent stars gain some separation from each other.

“The final structure of the solar system will be formed by interstellar flight of neighboring forming star systems, as well as interplanetary scattering. Close encounters will pull planets and small bodies out of the system, forming so-called rogue planets. ” the authors explain.

“Taken together, early interplanetary scattering, stellar encounters, and subsequent ejection of planets during the evolution of multiplanetary solar systems are common and account for the vast number of rogue planets floating freely through interstellar space. The supporting evidence is “perhaps beyond stellar,” the authors write, noting that the claim is controversial.

So what does this all add up to? Researchers developed a capture cross section of the solar system’s phase space to calculate how many rogue planets there are in our solar system’s vicinity. There are 131 stars and brown dwarfs in our Sun’s neighborhood, which extends over a radius of 6 parsecs around the Sun. Astronomers know that at least some of them host planets, and it’s very likely that all of them host planets that have yet to be detected.

Every million years, about two stars come within a few light years of Earth. “However, six stars are expected to pass closely together within the next 50,000 years,” the authors write. The outer boundary of the Oort Cloud is about 1.5 light-years away, so some of these stellar encounters could easily dislodge objects from the cloud and send them toward the inner Solar System. This has already happened many times, as clouds are likely sources of long-period comets.

Researchers have identified an opening in the solar system’s phase space through which some of these objects, ISOs, or rogue planets, could reach persistent weak capture. They are openings in the Sun’s cone sphere, the region where the Sun’s gravity is the dominant gravity for capturing satellites. These openings are 3.81 light-years from the Sun toward the center of the galaxy or vice versa.

“Through these apertures, it is possible to permanently faintly trap interstellar objects in our solar system,” the authors write. “They move chaotically within the confines of the hill, permanently trapping it around the sun over an arbitrarily long period of time in infinitely many cycles.” These objects never collide with the sun; You may be captured forever. “Rogue planets can disrupt the orbits of potentially detectable planets,” the researchers conclude.

We are still in the early stages of understanding ISO and Rogue Planet. We know they are there, but we don’t know how many or where they are. The Vera Rubin Observatory may open our eyes to this population of celestial bodies. It may even show how they concentrate in some areas and avoid others.

According to the study, if you’re close to one of the openings in the Mount of the Sun’s sphere, there may be visitors who decide to stay.