Structure in narrow planetary rings: Open questions and recent results

Abstract

In this paper we review some open questions in the context of the structure observed in narrow planetary rings, and summarize some recent results of our work directed to answer them. Using the scattering approach to narrow rings we have succeeded to reproduce some of their structural properties in a qualitative sense, using unrealistic toy models as examples. We obtain narrow rings which are non-circular and display sharp edges. In addition, these rings may have multiple components which may entangle in a complicated dynamically evolving way forming a braided structure, or may display strongly azimuthal dependent features such as arcs. The appearance of these structural properties can be understood in terms of the underlying phase space.