Evolution of Migrating Planet Pairs in Resonance

Abstract

In this paper we present numerical simulations of the evolution of planets or massive satellites captured in the 2/1 and 3/1 resonances, under the action of an anti-dissipative tidal force. The evolution of resonant trapped bodies show a richness of solutions: librations around stationary symmetric solutions with aligned periapses (w1-w2=0) or anti-aligned periapses (w1-w2=180 deg), and librations around stationary solutions in which the periapses configuration is fixed, but with w1-w2 taking values in a wide range of angles. Many of these solutions exist for large values of the eccentricities and, during the semimajor axis drift, the solutions show turnabouts from one configuration to another. These results are valid for other non-conservative forces leading to adiabatic covergent migration and capture into one of these resonances.