Related papers: Chaotic diffusion in the Solar System
Secular oscillations in multi-planet systems can drive chaotic evolution of a small inner body through non-linear resonant perturbations. This "secular chaos" readily pushes the inner body to an extreme eccentricity, triggering tidal…
The 3:2 spin-orbit resonance between the rotational and orbital motions of Mercury results from a functional dependance on a tidal friction adding to a non-zero eccentricity with a permanent asymmetry in the equatorial plane of the planet.…
The motion of two planets around a Sun-like star under the combined effects of mutual interaction and tidal dissipation is investigated. The secular behaviour of the system is analyzed using two different approaches. First, we solve the…
Finite eccentricities in mass-transferring eccentric binary systems can be explained by taking into account mass-loss and mass-transfer processes that often occur in these systems. These processes can be treated as perturbations to the…
We examine recent astronomical data to assess whether the sun and Solar System possess anomalous properties compared to other stars and exoplanetary systems, providing context for astrobiology research. Utilising data primarily from large…
We develop a simplified model for studying the long-term evolution of giant planets in protoplanetary discs. The model accounts for the eccentricity evolution of the planets and the dynamics of eccentric discs under the influences of…
We infer the past orbit of the Sagittarius (Sgr) dwarf galaxy in the Milky Way halo by integrating backwards from its observed position and proper motions, including the effects of dynamical friction. Given measured proper motions, we show…
We examine the effect of secular perturbations by giant planets on systems of multiple, lower mass planets orbiting Sun-like stars. We simulate the effects of forcing both eccentricity and inclination, separately and together. We compare…
Most observed extrasolar planets have masses similar to, but orbits very different from, the gas giants of our solar system. Many are much closer to their parent stars than would have been expected and their orbits are often rather…
Understanding the stability of exoplanet systems is crucial for constraining planetary formation and evolution theories. We use the machine-learning stability indicator, SPOCK, to characterize the stability of 126 high-multiplicity systems…
We present the secular theory of coplanar $N$-planet system, in the absence of mean motion resonances between the planets. This theory relies on the averaging of a perturbation to the two-body problem over the mean longitudes. We expand the…
Solar quasi-biennial oscillations with period range 0.6 to 4 years, are prominent in records of solar activity. Here we show that the 1.6 year quasi-biennial oscillation in solar activity has the exceptional feature of phase inversion…
We present theoretical calculations for the differential distribution of stellar orbital eccentricity in a galaxy halo, assuming that the stars constitute a spherical, collisionless system in dynamical equilibrium with a dark matter halo.…
Determining the orbital eccentricity of an extrasolar planet is critically important for understanding the system's dynamical environment and history. However, eccentricity is often poorly determined or entirely mischaracterized due to poor…
Both the recently reported anomalous secular increase of the astronomical unit, of the order of a few cm yr^-1, and of the eccentricity of the lunar orbit e_ = (9+/-3) 10^-12 yr^-1 can be phenomenologically explained by postulating that the…
The known extrasolar multiple-planet systems share a surprising dynamical attribute: they cluster just beyond the Hill stability boundary. Here we show that the planet-planet scattering model, which naturally explains the observed exoplanet…
The general relativistic Lense-Thirring precessions of the perihelia of the inner planets of the Solar System are about 10^-3 arcseconds per century. Recent improvements in planetary orbit determination may yield the first observational…
This paper studies the long term evolution of planetary systems containing short-period planets, including the effects of tidal circularization, secular excitation of eccentricity by companion planets, and stellar damping. For planetary…
Modern terrestrial planet formation models are highly successful at consistently generating planets with masses and orbits analogous to those of Earth and Venus. In stark contrast to classic theoretical predictions and inferred demographics…
The Lagrange planetary equations are used to study to secular evolution of a small, eccentric satellite that orbits within a narrow gap in a broad, self-gravitating planetary ring. These equations show that the satellite's secular…