The missing rings around Solar System moons

¹ Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Av. Padre Hurtado 750, Viña del Mar, Chile
² Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France
³ Núcleo Milenio Formación Planetaria – NPF, Chile
⁴ School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
⁵ The Macquarie University Astrophysics and Space Technologies Research Centre, Macquarie University, Balaclava Road, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia
⁶ SEAP/FACom, Instituto de Física – FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
⁷ Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile

^★ Corresponding author; mario.sucerquia@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr

Received: 2 February 2024
Accepted: 20 August 2024

Abstract

Context. Rings are complex structures that surround various bodies within the Solar System, such as giant planets and certain minor bodies. While some formation mechanisms could also potentially promote their existence around (regular or irregular) satellites, none of these bodies currently bear these structures.

Aims. We aim to understand the underlying mechanisms that govern the potential formation, stability, and/or decay of hypothetical circumsatellital rings (CSRs) orbiting the largest moons in the Solar System. This extends to the exploration of short-term morphological features within these rings, providing insights into the ring survival timescales and the interactions that drive their evolution.

Methods. To conduct this study, we used numerical N-body simulations under the perturbing influence of the host planet and other moon companions.

Results. We found that, as suspected, moons with a lower Roche-to-Hill radius can preserve their rings over extended periods. Moreover, the gravitational environment in which these rings are immersed influences the morphological evolution of the system (e.g. ring size), inducing gaps through the excitation of eccentricity and inclination of constituent particles. Specifically, our results show that the rings of Iapetus and Rhea experience minimal variations in their orbital parameters, enhancing their long-term stability. This agrees with the hypothesis that some of the features of Iapetus and Rhea were produced by ancient ring systems, for example, the huge ridge in the Iapetus equator as a result of a decaying ring.

Conclusions. From a dynamical perspective, we found that there are no mechanisms that preclude the existence of CSRs, and we attribute their current absence to non-gravitational phenomena. Effects such as stellar radiation, magnetic fields, and the influence of magnetospheric plasma can significantly impact the dynamics of constituent particles and trigger their decay. This highlights the importance of future studies of these effects.