Abstract
We explore the long-term stability of Earth Trojans by using a chaos indicator, the Frequency Map Analysis. We find that there is an extended stability region at low eccentricity and for inclinations lower than about \(50^{\circ }\) even if the most stable orbits are found at \(i \le 40^{\circ }\). This region is not limited in libration amplitude, contrary to what found for Trojan orbits around outer planets. We also investigate how the stability properties are affected by the tidal force of the Earth–Moon system and by the Yarkovsky force. The tidal field of the Earth–Moon system reduces the stability of the Earth Trojans at high inclinations while the Yarkovsky force, at least for bodies larger than 10 m in diameter, does not seem to strongly influence the long-term stability. Earth Trojan orbits with the lowest diffusion rate survive on timescales of the order of \(10^9\) years but their evolution is chaotic. Their behaviour is similar to that of Mars Trojans even if Earth Trojans appear to have shorter lifetimes.
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We thank Matija Ćuk and an anonymous referee for useful comments and suggestions.
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Marzari, F., Scholl, H. Long term stability of Earth Trojans. Celest Mech Dyn Astr 117, 91–100 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-013-9478-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-013-9478-7