Cartoon of the effects of tides on the orbital evolution of Pluto and Charon

Cartoon of the effects of tides on the orbital evolution of Pluto and Charon
Cartoon of the effects of tides on the orbital evolution of Pluto and Charon Their mutual gravity raises tidal bulges, which exert torques on each other. Torques allow momentum transfer, causing slow evolution towards the dual-synchronous state. Barr and Collins 2015