Abstract
THE dusty disk around the star β Pictoris is believed to contain a large number of comet-like bodies1,2. Transient absorption events associated with β Pictoris have been observed at many wavelengths3–6 and attributed to cometary objects on eccentric orbits passing between the star and the Earth7. One unexplained aspect of these events is the large asymmetry between red-shifted and blue-shifted features: ∼90% of the events are red-shifted6. We show here that such an asymmetry is a natural consequence of the influence on cometary orbits of secular resonances associated with some planetary systems. Results from numerical integrations of test particles in a model of our Solar System show that the v6secular resonance excites objects initially on near-circular orbits to high eccentricities while aligning their perihelia. Depending on the location of a distant observer, this alignment can produce an asymmetry similar to that observed for β Pictoris. Our results imply the presence of at least two planets (a prerequisite for the existence of secular resonances) around β Pictoris.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Weissman, P. R. Science 224, 987–989 (1984).
Beust, H., Vidal-Madjar, A., Ferlet, R. & Lagrange-Henri, A. M. Astr. Astrophys. 236, 202–216 (1990).
Kondo, Y. & Bruhweiler, F. C. Astrophys. J. 291, L1–L5 (1985).
Lagrange, A. M., Ferlet, R. & Vidal-Madjar, A. Astr. Astrophys. 173, 289–292 (1987).
Ferlet, R., Vidal-Madjar, A. & Hobbs, L. M. Astr. Astrophys. 185, 267–270 (1987).
Lagrange-Henri, A. M., Gosset, E., Beust H. & Vidal-Madjar, A. Astr. Astrophys. 264, 637–653 (1992).
Lagrange-Henri, A. M., Vidal-Madjar, A. & Ferlet, R. Astr. Astrophys. 190, 275–282 (1988).
Aumann, H. H. Astr. J. 96, 1415–1419 (1988).
Smith, B. A. & Terrile, R. J. Science 226, 1421–1424 (1984).
Artymowicz, P., Burrows, C. & Paresce, F. Astrophys. J. 337, 494–513 (1989).
Beust, H. & Lissauer, J. Astr. Astrophys. 282, 804–810 (1994).
Brouwer, D. & Clemence, G. M. Celestial Mechanics Ch 16 (Academic, New York, 1961).
Duncan, M. & Quinn, T. A. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 31, 265–295 (1993).
Williams, J. G. thesis, Univ. California, Los Angeles (1969).
Yoshikawa, M. Celest. Mech. 40, 233–272 (1987).
Morbidelli, A. Icarus 105, 48–62 (1993).
Wisdom, J. & Holman, M. Astr. J. 102, 1528–1538 (1991).
Levison, H. & Duncan, M. Icarus 108, 18–36 (1994).
Farinella, P. et al. Nature 371, 314–317 (1994).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Levison, H., Duncan, M. & Wetherill, G. Secular resonances and cometary orbits in the β Pictoris system. Nature 372, 441–444 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/372441a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/372441a0
This article is cited by
-
Dust in the solar system and in extra-solar planetary systems
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review (2006)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
