Dive into the science of Star Rider with this article, which explores the real-world concepts behind my novel.
The link to my Sci-fi novel "Star Rider": /story/342470732-star-rider
Orbital resonance is an effect in celestial mechanics where orbiting bodies exert periodic gravitational influences on each other when their orbital periods form a simple integer ratio. The concept is analogous to pushing a child on a swing—both the orbital motion and the swinging have a natural frequency, and when an external force is applied periodically in sync with this frequency, the cumulative effect can either amplify or disrupt the motion. Orbital resonance significantly enhances gravitational interactions between celestial bodies, allowing them to alter or constrain each other's orbits.
In celestial mechanics, this translates to either a perfectly stable synchronized orbit between two bodies or the destruction of one body's orbit. In most cases involving asteroids, the latter scenario occurs—their orbits are disrupted, causing them to be ejected from their original paths or cleared out, a phenomenon known as "clearing the neighbourhood" or "dynamical dominance".
Kirkwood Gaps and the Asteroid Belt
In Star Rider, when Alcon first travels to the Kuiper Belt, he must pass through the asteroid belt, where the term Kirkwood Gaps appears:
--- Start of Quote — Alcon's Journal # 12 Even though we were traveling at a maximum speed of 150,000 kilometers per hour during our last mission, the new engine we installed can now reach speeds of up to 700,000 kilometers per hour. However, maintaining maximum speed through the asteroid belt is not wise, so 3137 will only accelerate in the Kirkwood gap, a relatively sparse region of the asteroid belt that is in resonance with Jupiter's orbit. Whenever we leave the Kirkwood gap and enter an area with a higher concentration of asteroids, we will need to slow down. --- End Quote ---
A chart of the distribution of asteroid semimajor axes, showing the four most prominent Kirkwood gaps and a possible division into inner, middle and outer main-belt asteroids:
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The principle of orbital resonance disrupting asteroid orbits also applies to planetary ring systems, such as the gaps within Saturn's rings, where resonances have cleared out regions of dust and debris.
Stable Resonances - Laplace Resonance
While resonance can lead to orbital destruction, it can also result in stable orbital configurations. A notable example is the Laplace Resonance among Jupiter's three moons—Io, Europa, and Ganymede—which have established a stable resonant pattern in their orbits. The following animation illustrates this phenomenon:
Animation of Laplace Resonance:
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