Instantons for the destabilization of the inner Solar System

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether the concept of instantons, known from physics, applies to the rare destabilization events of the inner Solar System, demonstrating that path probabilities concentrate near a predicted instanton in a simplified Mercury model.

Contribution

It introduces the application of instanton theory to chaotic deterministic systems like the Solar System, showing how to compute and identify instantons for planetary resonance events.

Findings

Path probabilities concentrate near the predicted instanton.

The first exit time of Mercury resonance can be computed.

Implications for Solar System stability are discussed.

Abstract

For rare events, path probabilities often concentrate close to a predictable path, called instanton. First developed in statistical physics and field theory, instantons are action minimizers in a path integral representation. For chaotic deterministic systems, where no such action is known, shall we expect path probabilities to concentrate close to an instanton? We address this question for the dynamics of the terrestrial bodies of the Solar System. It is known that the destabilization of the inner Solar System might occur with a low probability, within a few hundred million years, or billion years, through a resonance between the motions of Mercury and Jupiter perihelia. In a simple deterministic model of Mercury dynamics, we show that the first exit time of such a resonance can be computed. We predict the related instanton and demonstrate that path probabilities actually concentrate close to this instanton, for events which occur within a few hundred million years. We discuss the possible implications for the actual Solar System.