Modelling the dynamics of a hypothetical Planet X by way of gravitational N-body simulator
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Publication:5270261
DOI10.1088/1361-6404/AA5448zbMATH Open1390.70030arXiv1701.07711OpenAlexW2576629959MaRDI QIDQ5270261
Stephen W. Hughes, Michael Cowley
Publication date: 23 June 2017
Published in: European Journal of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)
Abstract: This paper describes a novel activity to model the dynamics of a Jupiter-mass, trans-Neptunian planet of a highly eccentric orbit. Despite a history rooted in modern astronomy, "Planet X", a hypothesised hidden planet lurking in our outer Solar System, has often been touted by conspiracy theorists as the cause of past mass extinction events on Earth, as well as other modern-day doomsday scenarios. Frequently dismissed as pseudoscience by astronomers, these stories continue to draw the attention of the public by provoking mass media coverage. Targeted at junior undergraduate levels, this activity allows students to debunk some of the myths surrounding Planet X by using simulation software to demonstrate that such a large-mass planet with extreme eccentricity would be unable to enter our Solar System unnoticed, let alone maintain a stable orbit.
Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1701.07711
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