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To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2009.06.003 Byline: Sarah J. Morrison, Peter C. Thomas, Matthew S. Tiscareno, Joseph A. Burns, Joseph Veverka Keywords: Saturn; Satellites; Surfaces; Satellites; Shapes; Satellites; Dynamics Abstract: High-resolution images from the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) show parallel sets of grooves on Epimetheus and Pandora. Grooves have previously been observed on other satellites and asteroids, including Phobos, Gaspra, Ida, Eros, and minor occurrences on Phoebe. Sets of parallel grooves are so far observed only on satellites known or likely to be subject to significant tidal stresses, such as forced librations. Grooves on asteroids and on satellites not subject to significant forced librations occur in more globally disorganized patterns that may reflect impacts, varying internal structures, or even thermal stresses. The patterns and individual morphologies of grooves on the tidally-affected satellites suggest fracturing in weak materials due to tidal stresses and forced librations. Author Affiliation: Cornell University, Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA Article History: Received 23 April 2009; Revised 1 June 2009; Accepted 3 June 2009

Exoplanet systems with multiple planets in mean motion resonances have often been hailed as a signpost of disk-driven migration. Resonant chains like Kepler-223 and Kepler-80 consist of a trio of planets with the three-body resonant angle librating and/or with a two-body resonant angle librating for each pair. Here we investigate whether close-in super-Earths and mini-Neptunes forming in situ can lock into resonant chains due to dissipation from a depleted gas disk. We simulate the giant impact phase of planet formation, including eccentricity damping from a gaseous disk, followed by subsequent dynamical evolution over tens of millions of years. In a fraction of simulated systems, we find that planets naturally lock into resonant chains. These planets achieve a chain of near-integer period ratios during the gas-disk stage, experience eccentricity damping that captures them into resonance, stay in resonance as the gas disk dissipates, and avoid subsequent giant impacts, eccentricity excitation, and chaotic diffusion that would dislodge the planets from resonance. Disk conditions that enable planets to complete their formation during the gas-disk stage enable those planets to achieve tight period ratios ≤2 and, if they happen to be near-integer period ratios, lock into resonance. Using the weighting of different disk conditions deduced by MacDonald et al. and forward modeling Kepler selection effects, we find that our simulations of in situ formation via oligarchic growth lead to a rate of observable trios with integer period ratios and librating resonant angles comparable to observed Kepler systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many observed debris discs are thought to have gaps suggestive of the presence of planets, direct imaging surveys do not find many high-mass planets in these systems. We investigate if divergent migration is a viable mechanism for forming gaps in young debris discs with planets of low enough mass to currently elude detection. We perform numerical integrations of planet pairs embedded in planetesimal discs to assess the conditions for which divergent, planetesimal-driven migration occurs and gaps form within the disc. Gap widths and the migration rate of planets within a pair depend on both disc mass and the degree to which the planets share disc material. We find that planet pairs with planets more massive than Neptune can produce gaps with widths similar to their orbit distance within 10 Myr at orbit separations probed by direct imaging campaigns. Pairs of migrating super-Earths likely cannot form observable gaps on the same time and distance scales, however. Inferring the responsible planet masses from these gaps while neglecting migration could overestimate the mass of planets by more than an order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological success of social insects is frequently ascribed to improvements in task performance due to division of labour amongst workers. While much research has focused on improvements associated with lifetime task specialization, members of colonies can specialize on a given task over shorter time periods. Eusocial bees in particular must collect pollen and nectar rewards to survive, but most workers appear to mix collection of both rewards over their lifetimes. We asked whether bumblebees specialize over timescales shorter than their lifetime. We also explored factors that govern such patterns, and asked whether reward specialists made more foraging bouts than generalists. In particular, we described antennal morphology and size of all foragers in a single colony and related these factors to each forager's complete foraging history, obtained using radio frequency identification (RFID). Only a small proportion of foragers were lifetime specialists; nevertheless, >50% of foragers specialized daily on a given reward. Contrary to expectations, daily and lifetime reward specialists were not better foragers (being neither larger nor making more bouts); larger bees with more antennal olfactory sensilla made more bouts, but were not more specialized. We discuss causes and functions of short and long-term patterns of specialization for bumblebee colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]