On the Origin of the Commensurabilities Amongst the Satellites of Saturn-II

Abstract

The possible types of resonance motion involving the inclinations of a pair of commensurable satellites are discussed, and the tidal evolution of the system when close to the commensurability is described. An explanation is given of how the satellites Enceladus and Dione could have avoided capture into one of the inclination-type resonances, a necessary condition if the tidal hypothesis of the origin of the eccentricity-type resonance that actually exists between these satellites is to be accepted.