Dynamics of Multiple Planet Systems
Rory Barnes
LPL
April 30, 2007, 4PM, Space Sciences 308
I will discuss recent theoretical advances in our understanding of the
dynamical properties of multiple planet systems. Twenty systems have been
found so far, providing the first hints of trends among planetary systems
(including the Solar System). With so few systems known, the best way to
characterize the interactions is by measuring how close each system is to
boundaries between different types of motion. Specifically, I will
describe the proximities to dynamical stability and to a boundary that
separates different types of apsidal oscillations (libration vs.
circulation). Curiously, many interacting planets appear to lie close to
these boundaries, including those in the Solar System. If the emerging
trends are real, then we can make predicitions about future discoveries of
planets, constrain models of planet formation, and quantify how our Solar
System fits in with planetary systems in general.
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