The asteroidal belt and Kirkwood gaps - I : a statistical study

A spectral analysis study of matter distribution in the asteroidal belt has been made. This distribution has been fourier analysed and the autocorrelation and power spectrum have been obtained. The ratios from the resonance theory have also been identified. It has been shown that the Kirkwood gaps cannot be satisfactorily interpreted as due to mere resonance between the asteroid and Jupiter orbital motions. It is proposed that they may be regarded as a consequence of density waves generated in the gas disc in the ecliptic plane in the neighbourhood of the Sun. It has also been shown that the process is non-Marcovian and hence cannot be subjected to a hydrodynamical analysis. (K.B.)