PLANETARY CLOSE ENCOUNTERS: GEOMETRY OF APPROACH AND POST-ENCOUNTER ORBITAL PARAMETERS

Opik's assumptions on the geometry of particle trajectories leading to and through planetary close encounters are used to compute the distribution of changes in heliocentric orbital elements that result from such encounters for a range of initial heliocentric orbits. Behaviour at encounter is assumed to follow two-body (particle-planet) gravitational scattering, while before and after encounter particle motion is only governed by the force of the Sun. Derivation of these distributions allows precise analysis of the probability of various outcomes in terms of the physical characteristics of the bodies involved. For example, they allow an explanation and prediction of the asymmetry of the extreme energy perturbations for different initial orbits. The formulae derived here may be applied to problems including the original accumulation of planets and satellites, and the continuing evolution of populations of small bodies, such as asteroids and comets.