The Causes and Consequences of Chaos and Instability in Planetary Systems

Explore a detailed seminar presentation by Sam Hadden from the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics examining the fundamental role of orbital instabilities in shaping planetary systems. Delve into how chaotic dynamics influence both our solar system and exoplanetary systems, from the formation of Earth and its neighboring planets through giant impacts to the creation of hot Jupiters and free-floating planets. Learn about recent advances in understanding planetary system instabilities through the lens of non-linear dynamics and Hamiltonian chaos theory. Discover how these orbital disruptions have shaped the compact systems of sub-Neptunes commonly found around sun-like stars and gain insights into the complex mechanisms that determined our solar system's current configuration following the dispersal of the protoplanetary disk.