Question

Imagine we added a new rocky moon to Saturn. If the moon was medium-sized, orbited outside Saturn's ring system, had a low orbital inclination, and had a low orbital eccentricity, which of the following might result?

a) the moon would produce a new gap or set of gaps in the rings of Saturn
b) the moon would be destroyed by Saturn's tidal gravity, creating a new ring
c) the moon would eventually collide with another moon of Saturn, creating a new ring
d) the moon's orbit would decay and it would eventually collide with Saturn
e) the moon would interact gravitationally with the other moons of Saturn and be ejected from the Saturn system

Answer 1

The addition of a new rocky moon to Saturn that orbits outside the ring system with low inclination and eccentricity would most likely produce a new gap or set of gaps in Saturn's rings due to gravitational resonances.

Step-by-step explanation:

If we added a new rocky moon to Saturn, the most likely outcome based on the knowledge of Saturn's rings and its moons interaction would be that the moon would produce a new gap or set of gaps in the rings of Saturn (option a). This is because gaps in Saturn's rings are typically the result of gravitational resonances with Saturn's moons. When two moons, or a moon and ring particles, have orbital periods in exact ratios of each other, the gravitational force can clear out material in certain regions, creating gaps.

As for the other outcomes listed, while Saturn's tidal gravity could indeed break apart a moon, this would require the new moon to be very close to Saturn, which contradicts the scenario's stipulation that the moon orbits outside the ring system. An orbital decay leading to a collision with Saturn (option d) or a moon ejected from the Saturn system due to interactions with other moons (option e) would not align with the low eccentricity and inclination defined in the scenario, which generally contribute to a more stable orbit. A collision with another moon of Saturn (option c) could occur, but it's a less certain outcome without specific details suggesting a trajectory leading to such an event.

a) The moon would produce a new gap or set of gaps in the rings of Saturn.

If the moon is medium-sized, orbits outside Saturn's ring system, has a low orbital inclination, and has a low orbital eccentricity, it is likely to interact with the particles in Saturn's rings through gravitational forces. These interactions can lead to the creation of gaps in the rings, as the moon's gravitational influence would clear a region of particles along its orbit. This phenomenon has been observed in other cases where moons orbiting a planet interact with nearby ring systems, producing gaps in the rings. Therefore, option (a) is the most likely outcome based on the described characteristics of the moon.