Characterizing longitude variation on Chariklo's main ring.

Abstract

In 2013, a stellar occultation revealed the presence of a ring system around the Centaur Chariklo, marking the first discovery of such a feature on a small body. Subsequent observations indicated that the main ring exhibits not only radial density variations but also changes in width depending on longitude. In this study, we propose a method to determine the longitude (within an inertial reference frame) and the orbital radius of each point of the ring detected during stellar occultations. In addition, we provide a descriptive analysis of the ring's width variations and identify the combination of oscillation modes 1 and 2 as the most likely pattern governing the ring behaviour.This article is part of the theme issue 'Major advances in planetary sciences thanks to stellar occultations'.