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On the origin of Uranus' rings

Abstract

DERMOTT and Gold1 have proposed that the structure of the rings of Uranus2–4 may be explained by a series of three-body orbital resonances with the satellites Ariel, Titania and Oberon. This mechanism has been considered in more detail5,6, and it is found that the particular resonances involving Ariel–Titania and Ariel–Oberon pairs encounter difficulties in explaining the ring system. This has led to strong arguments against the part played by the Miranda–Ariel resonances, but we show here that such orbital resonant effects should not be completely discarded.

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IP, WH. On the origin of Uranus' rings. Nature 272, 802–803 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1038/272802a0

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