The Dynamical Behaviour of Our Planetary System: Proceedings of the Fourth Alexander von Humboldt Colloquium on Celestial Mechanics

The papers in this volume cover a large range of questions concerning the dynamics of objects of the Solar System, from theoretical Hamiltonian mechanics to the study of the dynamical behaviour of specific objects, with a strong emphasis on the detection, causes and effects of chaotic behaviour.
Several papers describe the very latest contributions in two very lively and recent topics which are considered as a major breakthrough in numerical dynamics: symplectic methods of numerical integration of Hamiltonian systems, and methods for spectral analysis of numerically computed orbits leading to refined tools for the detection and evaluation of chaos.
The dynamics of the asteroid belt and other small objects, a fast-moving topic with important implications for the origin and evolution of the Solar System, is also extensively covered.
The volume will be of interest to mathematicians and physicists interested in Hamiltonian mechanics and in the dynamics of the Solar System.

Rudolf Dvorak, now serving at the Institute of Astronomy in Vienna, has gained research experience in planet research at international institutions including the Bureau des Longitudes in Paris. Some 100 publications provide ample proof. His connections allowed him to assemble the team of leading authors to cover all aspects of the detection of distant worlds.