The action of the Galactic disk on the Oort cloud comets. Qualitative study.
Abstract
Averaged equations of motion for the action of the Galactic disk on the comets from the Oort cloud are studied from the qualitative point of view. The motion is described on a sphere which reflects the actual topology of the problem. The presence and location of the equilibria is established for all cases including the class of polar orbits. A geometrical construction is proposed to analyze directly the evolution of the Laplace vector. Specifying the qualitative properties of different classes of cometary orbits may help to identify the effect of Galactic disk tides in the observed population of comets.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- November 1996
- Bibcode:
- 1996A&A...315..618B
- Keywords:
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- CELESTIAL MECHANICS;
- COMETS: GENERAL