Ah. good questions! They informed me about the mechanisms: an unstable orbit from outside energy.berkeman said:What do you mean by the term "eject"? What was the previous orbit of the object? Where did the object come from? Unless it was already in an unstable orbit due to initial conditions, where did the extra energy come from to disturb the stable orbit and cause it to become unstable? Links?
Yes, Jupiter can gravitationally eject a pebble in orbit. This process is known as gravitational slingshot or assist, where the pebble gains enough velocity from Jupiter's gravitational field to escape its orbit and potentially the solar system.
Jupiter's gravity can significantly affect smaller masses, such as pebbles or small moons, by altering their orbits. Depending on their initial trajectories, these smaller masses can be captured into orbit, ejected from the system, or collide with Jupiter or its moons.
For Jupiter to eject a smaller mass, the object must approach Jupiter with a specific trajectory and velocity that allows it to gain enough kinetic energy from Jupiter's gravitational field. This typically involves a close encounter where the object is accelerated and redirected in such a way that it escapes Jupiter's gravitational influence.
While the ejection of smaller masses by Jupiter can have localized effects, such as altering the orbits of nearby objects, the overall impact on the solar system's dynamics is minimal. However, over long timescales, these processes can contribute to the distribution and evolution of small bodies in the solar system.
Yes, there are real-world examples of objects being ejected by Jupiter. Many comets and asteroids have been observed to undergo gravitational interactions with Jupiter that alter their orbits significantly. Some of these objects are ejected from the solar system entirely, while others are redirected into different orbits.