The Second Ring-Moon System of Uranus: Discovery and Dynamics

@article{Showalter2006TheSR,
  title={The Second Ring-Moon System of Uranus: Discovery and Dynamics},
  author={Mark R. Showalter and Jack J. Lissauer},
  journal={Science},
  year={2006},
  volume={311},
  pages={973 - 977}
}
Deep exposures of Uranus taken with the Hubble Space Telescope reveal two small moons and two faint rings. All of them orbit outside of Uranus's previously known (main) ring system but are interior to the large, classical moons. The outer new moon, U XXVI Mab, orbits at roughly twice the radius of the main rings and shares its orbit with a dust ring. The second moon, U XXVII Cupid, orbits just interior to the satellite Belinda. A second ring falls between the orbits of Portia and Rosalind, in a… 
View on AAAS
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
70 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
8
Background Citations
21
Methods Citations
5

70 Citations

Citation Type

Citation Type

Orbital dynamics of the Uranian moon Mab
The Uranian moon Mab, located in Uranus’ outer ring system, has been observed to be undergoing significant changes in its orbit about Uranus. These changes are not attributable to gravity flattening…
New Dust Belts of Uranus: One Ring, Two Ring, Red Ring, Blue Ring
TLDR
Near-infrared observations of the recently discovered outer rings of Uranus are compared with Hubble Space Telescope results, and it is found that the inner ring, R/2003 U 2, is red, whereas the outer ring,R/ 2003 U 1, is very blue.
The rings and small moons of Uranus and Neptune
  • M. Showalter
  • Medicine, Geology
    Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A
  • 2020
TLDR
These systems are studied for the information they reveal about the properties, history and ongoing evolution of the planetary systems of which they are a part; as dynamical analogues for other astrophysical systems such as protoplanetary disks; and for the wealth of fascinating properties and origin scenarios that make them worthy of study in their own right.
The Dark Side of the Rings of Uranus
TLDR
It is concluded that the dust distribution within the rings of Uranus has changed substantially since the 1986 Voyager encounter and that it occurs on much larger scales than has been seen in other planetary systems.
Weighing Uranus’ Moon Cressida with the η Ring
The $\eta$ ring is one of the narrow rings of Uranus, consisting of a dense core that is 1-2 km wide and a diffuse outer sheet spanning about 40 km. Its dense core lies just exterior to the 3:2 Inner…
A new inner moon of Neptune
TLDR
Hubble Space Telescope observations of the seventh inner moon of Neptune, Hippocamp, show that it is smaller than the other six, orbits near Proteus and probably originates from a fragment ofproteus, providing further support for the hypothesis that the inner Neptune system has been shaped by numerous impacts.
Orbital evolution of the μ and ν dust ring particles of Uranus
The μ and ν rings of Uranus form a secondary ring-moon system with the satellites Puck, Mab, Portia, and Rosalind. These rings are tenuous and dominated by micrometric particles, which can be…
Satellite and Ring Systems
After having studied the Earth’s Moon in Chap. 8, we now look at the moons of the other planets of the solar system. A quick look at the two moons of Mars is followed by a detailed examination of the…
The science case for an orbital mission to Uranus: exploring the origins and evolution of ice giant planets
Giant planets helped to shape the conditions we see in the Solar System today and they account for more than 99% of the mass of the Sun's planetary system. They can be subdivided into the Ice Giants…
RESONANCES, CHAOS, AND SHORT-TERM INTERACTIONS AMONG THE INNER URANIAN SATELLITES
The Portia group of Uranian satellites, representing 9 of the planet’s 13 tiny innermost moons, form a densely packed dynamical system. Hubble Space Telescope observations indicate that their orbits…
...
1
2
3
4
5
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 16 REFERENCES
Orbits of the ten small satellites of Uranus
Orbital elements are presented for the ten small satellites discovered by Voyager 2 at Uranus. These ten new satellites, whose provisional IAU designations are 1985UI and 1986UI through 1986U9, lie…
Voyager's Eleventh Discovery of a Satellite of Uranus and Photometry and the First Size Measurements of Nine Satellites
Abstract The discovery of S/1986 U 10 is presented including photometry and orbital elements. The new satellite orbits only 1200 km outside Belinda's orbit and very close to the 44:43 eccentric…
Orbital Stability of the Uranian Satellite System
Abstract We have numerically integrated approximately 500 systems of mutually gravitating bodies which were based on subsets of the uranian satellite system. In each run within a set, the satellite…
The Orbits of the Inner Uranian Satellites from Hubble Space Telescope and Voyager 2 Observations
This article presents revised orbital elements for the 10 small Uranian satellites discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. The elements have been determined from a fit to astrometric observations…
A numerical model of the Uranian dust rings
Abstract The tenuous dust rings of Uranus (τ ≈ 10−5) discovered by Voyager 2 are not readily associated with any of the other observed components of the Uranus ring system. Their short lifetime due…
Voyager 2 in the Uranian System: Imaging Science Results
TLDR
Voyager 2 images of the southern hemisphere of Uranus indicate that submicrometersize haze particles and particles of a methane condensation cloud produce faint patterns in the atmosphere, and Voyager images confirm the extremely low albedo of the ring particles.
Origins of the rings of Uranus and Neptune: 1. Statistics of satellite disruptions
Stochastic simulations of the collisional fragmentation of the small moons of Neptune and Uranus confirm the conclusions of Smith et al. [1986, 1989] that many of these moons cannot have survived…
Detection of centimeter-sized meteoroid impact events in Saturn's F ring.
Voyager images reveal that three prominent clumps in Saturn's F ring were short-lived, appearing rapidly and then spreading and decaying in brightness over periods of approximately 2 weeks. These…
Comprehensive Photometry of the Rings and 16 Satellites of Uranus with the Hubble Space Telescope
Abstract Photometric properties of 4 rings and 16 satellites of Uranus are presented, based on 41 Hubble Space Telescope images taken in 1997. Up to 25 filters per object covered the wavelength range…
Charged particle depletion surrounding Saturn's F ring - Evidence for a moonlet belt?
Abstract Pioneer 11 detected five abrupt depletions in the flux of trapped magnetospheric electrons within a 2000-km-wide band surrounding Saturn's F ring. We reconsider these observations using an…
...
1
2
...