Where are Sednas Sisters?
Here I offer an alternative which uses the very strong galactic tidal forces of the Sinusoidal potential (Bartlett 2001, 2004). In this potential, the numerator of Newton’s law is replaced by GM cos(ko r) where ko = 2 \pi/ lambdao and the ‘wavelength’ \lambdao is 425 pc. The 20 radial oscillations between the sun and the center of the Galaxy give tidal forces that are 120 times as big as generally expected. I will show how this tidal force, acting over the lifetime of the solar system, could move the perihelion of Sedna from about 40 to 76 AU. Sedna’s sisters are likely to have still larger q & a and to have perihelia in two specific quadrants of the ecliptic plane.
