Astronomers Elizabeth Bailey, Konstantin Batygin and Michael Brown from the California Institute of Technology (USA) linked the observed inclination of the Sun's axis of rotation to the gravitational influence of Planet X discovered earlier by the last two authors. The research preprint is published on the arXiv.org website.
At present, the tilt of the sun's axis of rotation is approximately six degrees. Scientists have at their disposal two explanations for this observational fact. The first is reduced to the initial asymmetry of the initial conditions during the formation of the solar system, the second - to the influence of giant planets.
Sun motion model
Photo: arXiv.org
In a new study, the authors assessed the effect of secular changes in the elements of Planet X's orbit on the tilt of the Sun's axis of rotation. The constructed analytical model, taking into account the known data on the celestial body, made it possible to conclude that the tilt of the axis of rotation of the Sun is due to the influence of Planet X.
Scientists reported on the possible detection of Planet X outside Pluto's orbit in mid-January 2016. The potential ninth planet of the system revolves around the Sun in an elongated orbit (and in a plane inclined relative to the Earth's orbit) with a period of 15 thousand years, and resembles Neptune in its physicochemical properties.