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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Laboratory Drop Towers for the Experimental Simulation of Dust-aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar System

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Published on: June 5, 2014

Chaotic evolution of the solar system.

G J Sussman, J Wisdom

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|July 3, 1992

Summary

The solar system

Area of Science:

Planetary Science
Astrodynamics
Celestial Mechanics

Background:

Understanding the long-term dynamical evolution of planetary systems is crucial for assessing their stability.
Previous studies suggested potential chaotic behavior in the solar system, but lacked comprehensive long-term numerical validation.

Purpose of the Study:

To numerically integrate the evolution of the entire planetary system over 100 million years.
To confirm the chaotic nature of the solar system's evolution and quantify its timescale.
To investigate the dynamical behavior of the Jovian subsystem and Pluto.

Main Methods:

Numerical integration of the gravitational interactions of all planets in the solar system.
Long-term simulation spanning approximately 100 million years.

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Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory

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Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Laboratory Drop Towers for the Experimental Simulation of Dust-aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar System

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Simulation of the Planetary Interior Differentiation Processes in the Laboratory

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Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths

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Analysis of dynamical stability and divergence timescales.

Main Results:

The long-term evolution of the entire solar system is confirmed to be chaotic.
The calculated timescale for exponential divergence is approximately 4 million years.
The Jovian planet subsystem exhibits chaotic dynamics, with potential for quasiperiodic motion under specific model variations.
Pluto's orbital motion is robustly and independently chaotic.

Conclusions:

The solar system's long-term evolution is inherently chaotic, underscoring the unpredictability of planetary positions over extended timescales.
The chaotic nature extends to the Jovian subsystem and Pluto, highlighting the complex gravitational interactions at play.
These findings have implications for understanding planetary system stability and the long-term fate of our solar system.