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Neptune's storyIt is conjectured that Triton was captured from a heliocentric orbit as the result of a collision with what was then one of Neptune's regular satellites. The immediate post-capture orbit was highly eccentric. Dissipation due to tides raised by Neptune in Triton caused Triton's orbit to evolve to its present state in less than one billion years. For much of this time Triton was almost entirely molten. While its orbit was evolving, Triton cannibalized most of the regular satellites of Neptune and also perturbed Nereid, thus accounting for that satellite's highly eccentric and inclined orbit. The only regular satellites of Neptune that survived were those that formed well within 5 Neptune radii, and they move on inclined orbits as the result of chaotic perturbations forced by Triton.
Document ID
19890062525
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Goldreich, P.
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Murray, N.
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Longaretti, P. Y.
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Banfield, D.
(California Institute of Technology Pasadena, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
August 4, 1989
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 245
ISSN: 0036-8075
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
89A49896
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NGL-05-002-003
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AST-86-1299
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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