AST3101H Module in Planetary Dynamics and N-body Simulations

Planetary Dynamics and N-body Simulations

Description: One of the most striking features easily observable in the night sky with the naked eye are planets or wandering stars which move with respect to the fixed stars. Trough practical exercises, this course provides graduate students with the expertise to calculate the motion of planets using both analytic and numerical methods. A particular focus will be on learning how to use modern numerical techniques, including symplectic integrators and machine learning. These techniques are nowadays a major component of every theorist’s toolkit as they allow us to understand the formation of evolution of the diverse planetary systems that we observe. Specifically, students will learn how to accurately calculate the motion of planets over billions of years and efficiently predict the stability of entire planetary systems.

Main Topics: – Keplerian orbits, orbital elements – Analytic solutions to planetary motion, mean motion resonances, secular theory – Approximate numerical solutions to Kepler’s equation – Symplectic integration methods for planetary dynamics – Methods to solve collisional systems such as planetesimal formation and planetary rings

Textbooks: – Astrophysics of Planet Formation by Philip J Armitage – Solar System Dynamics by Carl D. Murray – Modern Celestial Mechanics: Dynamics in the Solar System by Alessandro Morbidelli