Image Details
Caption: Figure 11.
Regolith mass in orbit vs. time when considering different gravitational harmonics terms for a landslide-like ejection around Chariklo. The simulations with only zonal terms (dashed lines) cause some initial mass loss but then do not drive regolith particles out of orbit. The azimuthal terms (dotted lines) dominate and drive particles out of the system because of angular momentum transfer between the Centaur and the regolith particles. The test particle simulations (left) clearly show this behavior, while the massive particle simulations (right) are more complex because of interparticle interactions. Interparticle gravity and collisions typically help counter the regolith particle loss.
© 2026. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.