Related papers: Fundamental limits from chaos on instability time …
To improve our understanding of orbital instabilities in compact planetary systems, we compare suites of $N$-body simulations against numerical integrations of simplified dynamical models. We show that, surprisingly, dynamical models that…
This paper continues a numerical investigation of orbits evolved in `frozen,' time-independent N-body realisations of smooth time-independent density distributions corresponding to both integrable and nonintegrable potentials, allowing for…
The dynamical stability of tightly packed exoplanetary systems remains poorly understood. While for a two-planet system a sharp stability boundary exists, numerical simulations of three and more planet systems show that they can experience…
We present a stability analysis of a large set of simulated planetary systems of three or more planets based on architectures of multiplanet systems discovered by \textit{Kepler} and \textit{K2}. We propagated 21,400 simulated planetary…
We examine the effects that dynamical instability has on shaping the orbital properties of exoplanetary systems. Using N-body simulations of non-EMS (Equal Mutual Separation), multi-planet systems we find that the lower limit of the…
Exoplanet detection surveys revealed the existence of numerous multi-planetary systems packed close to their stability limit. In this proceeding, we review the mechanism driving the instability of compact systems, originally published in…
Numerical integrations of the Solar System reveal a remarkable stability of the orbits of the inner planets over billions of years, in spite of their chaotic variations characterized by a Lyapunov time of only 5 million years and the lack…
Dissipationless N-body models of rotating galaxies, iso-energetic to a non-rotating model, are examined as regards the mass in regular and in chaotic motion. The values of their spin parameters $\lambda$ are near the value $\lambda=0.22$ of…
We investigate the orbits of compact binary systems during the final inspiral period before coalescence by integrating numerically the second-order post-Newtonian equations of motion. We include spin-orbit and spin-spin coupling terms,…
Chaos indicators, like the Lyapunov exponent lambda, are widely used in celestial mechanics to characterize the dynamical behavior of bodies. The stability of their orbit can be determined by the calculation of the local exponential…
The stability of the dynamical trajectories of softened spherical gravitational systems is examined, both in the case of the full $N$-body problem and that of trajectories moving in the gravitational field of non-interacting background…
Closely-packed multi-planet systems are known to experience dynamical instability if the spacings between the planets are too small. Such instability can be tempered by the frictional forces acting on the planets from gaseous discs. A…
This paper summarises a numerical investigation of the statistical properties of orbits evolved in `frozen,' time-independent N-body realisations of smooth, time-independent density distributions, allowing for 10^(2.5)<N<10^(5.5). Two…
Intrinsic instability of trajectories characterizes chaotic dynamical systems. We report here that trajectories can exhibit a surprisingly high degree of stability, over a very long time, in a chaotic dynamical system. We provide a detailed…
The solar system's dynamical state can be explained by an orbital instability among the giant planets. A recent model has proposed that the giant planet instability happened during terrestrial planet formation. This scenario has been shown…
Transit surveys have revealed a significant population of compact multi-planet systems, containing several sub-Neptune-mass planets on close-in, tightly-packed orbits. These systems are thought to have formed through a final phase of giant…
This paper examines discreteness effects in nearly collisionless N-body systems of charged particles interacting via an unscreened r^-2 force, allowing for bulk potentials admitting both regular and chaotic orbits. Both for ensembles and…
Dynamical chaos is a fundamental manifestation of gravity in astrophysical, many-body systems. The spectrum of Lyapunov exponents quantifies the associated exponential response to small perturbations. Analytical derivations of these…
Chaos is present in most stellar dynamical systems and manifests itself through the exponential growth of small perturbations. Exponential divergence drives time irreversibility and increases the entropy in the system. A numerical…
We report on the long-term dynamical evolution of the two-planet Kepler-36 system, which we studied through numerical integrations of initial conditions that are consistent with observations of the system. The orbits are chaotic with a…