Formation of the G-ring arc

Abstract

Since 2004, the images obtained by Cassini spacecraft's on-board cameras have revealed the existence of several small satellites in the Saturn system. Some of these small satellites are embedded in arcs of particles. While these satellites and their arcs are known to be in corotation resonances with Mimas, their origin remains unknown. This work investigates one possible process for capturing bodies into a corotation resonance, which involves raising the eccentricity of a perturbing body. Therefore, through numerical simulations and analytical studies, we show a scenario that the excitation of Mimas' eccentricity could capture particles in a corotation resonance and given a possible explanation for the origin for the arcs.