Incorporate irregular-satellite shape effects into submoon stability simulations

Determine how the significant non-sphericity and unstable spin-axis configurations of irregular satellites affect the long-term dynamical stability of submoons around those satellites.

Background

The simulations model all satellites as point masses, even though irregular satellites can deviate substantially from spherical symmetry. Such shape effects may alter the gravitational environment experienced by a submoon and consequently its stability.

The authors explain that the spin axes of irregular satellites are themselves unstable on million-year timescales, preventing them from including shape effects consistently without modeling many different spin-axis configurations. A systematic treatment of satellite shapes and evolving orientations therefore remains unresolved.],

quote identified? No, source must exact. Need fix.

References

In reality, irregular satellites often deviate significantly from sphericity \citep{THOMAS_1989}. This non-sphericity may affect the stability of submoons; however, their spin axes are themselves unstable on million-year timescales, so we could not properly include the shape effects without significantly complicating the problem by considering many different spin-axis configurations.

— Dynamically favorable hosts for submoons around Jupiter and Saturn  (2609.03564 - Dahoumane et al., 3 Sep 2026) in Section 4.1, Physics modeling