Secular resonance


A secular resonance is a type of orbital resonance between two bodies with synchronized precessional frequencies. In celestial mechanics, secular refers to the long-term motion of a system and resonance is when two periods or frequencies are a simple numerical ratio of small integers. Typically, the synchronized precessions in secular resonances are between the rates of change of the argument of the periapses or the rates of change of the longitude of the ascending nodes of two system bodies. Secular resonances can be used to study the long-term orbital evolution of asteroids and their families within the asteroid belt.

Description

Secular resonances occur when the precession of two orbits is synchronised. A small body in secular resonance with a much larger one will precess at the same rate as the large body. Over relatively short time periods a secular resonance will change the eccentricity and inclination of the small body.
One can distinguish between:
A prominent example of a linear resonance is the ν6 secular resonance between asteroids and Saturn. Asteroids which approach it have their eccentricity slowly increased until they become Mars-crossers, at which point they are usually ejected from the asteroid belt due to a close encounter with Mars. This resonance forms the inner and "side" boundaries of the asteroid belt around 2 AU, and at inclinations of about 20°.