Related papers: On the interstellar origin of high-inclination Cen…
The universal validity of the second law of thermodynamics is widely attributed to a finely tuned initial condition of the universe. This creates a problem: why is the universe atypical? We suggest that the problem is an artefact created by…
Many binary minor planets (BMPs; both binary asteroids and binary Trans-Neptunians objects; TNOs) are known to exist in the Solar system. The currently observed orbital and physical properties of BMPs hold essential information and clues…
Looking at the orbits of small bodies with large semimajor axes, we are compelled to see patterns. Some of these patterns are noted as strong indicators of new or hidden processes in the outer Solar System, others are substantially…
The dynamical evolution of a hierarchical three body system is well characterized by the eccentric Kozai-Lidov mechanism, where the inner orbit can undergo large eccentricity and inclination oscillations. It was shown before that starting…
Some systems of close-in "super-Earths" contain five or more planets on non-resonant but compact and nearly coplanar orbits. The Kepler-11 system is an iconic representative of this class of system. It is challenging to explain their…
We find a deficiency of binary stars moving on strongly retrograde Galactic orbits. No binary deficiencies are seen for U or W velocities, however. From theoretical analyses, we rule out preferential disruption of pre-existing binary stars…
The results obtained by Kroupa, Petr & McCaughrean (1999) for specific models of young compact binary-rich clusters are generalised using dynamical scaling relations, to infer the candidate set of possible birth models leading to the Orion…
The bright, nearby binary $\alpha$ Centauri provides an excellent laboratory for testing stellar evolution models, as it is one of the few stellar systems for which we have high-precision classical (mass, radius, luminosity) and…
Context. The fraction of field binaries on retrograde orbits about the Milky Way is significantly lower compared to its prograde counterpart. Chemical and dynamical evidence suggests that the retrograde stellar population originates from…
The orbital eccentricity distribution of exoplanets is shaped by a combination of dynamical processes, reflecting both formation conditions and long-term evolution. Probing the orbital dynamics of planets in the kinematic thin and thick…
The extrasolar planets discovered to date possess unexpected orbital elements. Most orbit their host stars with larger eccentricities and smaller semi-major axes than similarly sized planets in our own solar system do. It is generally…
The dynamics of small bodies around the Earth has gained a renewed interest, since the awareness of the problems that space debris can cause in the nearby future. A relevant role in space debris is played by lunisolar secular resonances,…
The origin of hot Jupiters remains a key open question. In the high-eccentricity migration scenario, traditional coreless models predict a strict tidal exclusion zone within $\sim 2.7$ tidal radii $r_\textrm{t}$, in which giant planets are…
$\omega$ Centauri is considered the most massive globular cluster of the Milky Way and likely the former nuclear star cluster of a galaxy accreted by the Milky Way. It is speculated to contain an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) from…
We study orbital inclination changes associated with the precession of a disc-planet system that occurs through gravitational interaction with a binary companion on an inclined orbit. We investigate whether this scenario can account for…
Since 2013, dense and narrow rings are known around the small Centaur object Chariklo and the dwarf planet Haumea. Dense material has also been detected around the Centaur Chiron, although its nature is debated. This is the first time ever…
In this paper we study the viability of an entropic cosmological model. The effects of entropic gravity are derived from a modified entropy-area relationship with a volumetric entropy term. This model describes a late time limit cosmic…
Martin & Lubow (2017) found that an initially sufficiently misaligned low mass protoplanetary disc around an eccentric binary undergoes damped nodal oscillations of tilt angle and longitude of ascending node. Dissipation causes evolution…
"The purpose of numerical models is not numbers but insight." (Hamming) In the spirit of this adage, and of Don Cox's approach to scientific speaking, we discuss the questions that the latest generation of numerical models of the…
The discovery of Sedna places new constraints on the origin and evolution of our solar system. Here we investigate the possibility that a close encounter with another star produced the observed edge of the Kuiper belt, at roughly 50 AU, and…