NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF MOON RINGLET INTERACTION

Nonaxisymmetric ring features excited by perturbations of shepherd satellites are studied in terms of direct particle simulations using Aarseth's N-body integrator combined with the calculation of particle-particle impacts. Interaction parameters typical to Saturn's F-ring are investigated. The generation of clumps by external satellites is verified, but the interparticle collisions tend to smooth sharp features. Using F-ring parameters the clumps are observed to cover the total azimuthal length, but it is not clear whether these azimuthally overlapping clumps would be detectable in the actual F-ring. Gravitational scattering by ring particles increases the velocity dispersion, smearing regular azimuthal features at least in the rings of low optical depths. Considerable accretion is observed to occur, particles sticking pairwise to each other, even if the tendency of the particles to accrete is artificially reduced in the simulations. A new explanation for the braided appearance of the F-ring is proposed, based on the interaction between the shepherding satellites and the ring containing embedded moonlets. In our model the braiding is a dynamic phenomenon: the braids are destroyed and recreated in a cyclical manner. © 1993 Academic Press. All rights reserved.