Formation of the G-ring arc

Abstract

Since 2004, the images obtained by the 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 increasing the eccentricity of a perturbing body. Therefore, through numerical simulations and analytical studies, we show a scenario in which the excitation of Mimas's eccentricity could capture particles in a corotation resonance. This is a possible explanation for the origin of the arcs.