<p>To set the stage, let's put some more specific assumptions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I am specifically thinking of a binary-single type interaction where the Earth is the intruder on a binary system of two bodies of a similar mass to the Earth (see figure below)</p>
</li>
<li><p>I am not as interested in the ultimate outcome of post-chaotic interactions (i.e. if the Earth exchanges for one of the bodies, I am not interested in the long term effects of being in a binary system), rather I am interested in the effect the rapid changes in trajectory would have on life. That being said, we can exclude the possibility of a collision for the sake of the question.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Let's ignore the Sun's gravitational effects on this interaction for simplicity, and let's ignore the implications a system like this has on the moon and the resulting effects the moon has on us, also for simplicity.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>The wordier version of my question in the title is this: what would happen to life as we know it if the Earth were to enter a chaotic trajectory from, say, binary-single interaction during the time the trajectory is chaotic (i.e. would we feel random forces pushing us in random directions on particularly sharp turns in the Earth's trajectory, would nothing happen at all, etc.)?</p>
<p>Below is a figure from <a href="https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1983ApJ...268..319H" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a seminal paper about binary-single interactions by Hut and Bahcall (1982)</a>. In this scenario I am thinking of, the Earth would be 3, but the ultimate outcome doesn't particularly matter or the specifics of this illustration, rather it is to serve to convey the general idea of the chaotic trajectory I am referring to.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/K2Zk6.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/K2Zk6.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-21T10:08:22.960Z
You don't feel geodesic motion, but you do feel tides.
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-21T21:20:54.300Z
@JustinT I quite like your question! Some folks view our solar system motion as chaotic, but those are the folks who like to look hundreds of millions of years forward/backward to see how the planets move closer or further from the Sun, so we can understand your question to be about "really chaotic" or "pathologically chaotic" motion (though those are really not scientific terms). But it does seem that it's the occasional very close approaches that make this most interesting.
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-21T21:21:42.757Z
It's the occasional very close approaches that also make this hard to calculate with all but the best numerical integrators: ["Pythagorean Three Body Problem" - need some points from an accurate solution for comparison](https://space.stackexchange.com/q/15364/12102)
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-22T07:31:00.133Z
@PM2Ring *so far unanswered* (and now bountied) in Space SE: [What were Hubble's jerk and jounce limits? Did JWST have the same?](https://space.stackexchange.com/q/27005/12102) and also [The jerk limitation is 500 g/sec during “non-impact” flight. That’s an interesting exclusion...](https://space.stackexchange.com/a/27011/12102)
uhoh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-22T08:03:22.643Z
Let us [continue this discussion in chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/136498/discussion-between-pm-2ring-and-uhoh).
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-05-23T12:26:45.407Z
Then Cixin Liu would turn out to be wildly prophetic.  We better start building our own sophons right now
Carl Witthoft
<life>
What would be the noticeable effects (if any) if the Earth's orbit entered a chaotic trajectory?
Justin T
# What would be the noticeable effects (if any) if the Earth's orbit entered a chaotic trajectory?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-05-21)

To set the stage, let's put some more specific assumptions:

1. I am specifically thinking of a binary-single type interaction where the Earth is the intruder on a binary system of two bodies of a similar mass to the Earth (see figure below)
2. I am not as interested in the ultimate outcome of post-chaotic interactions (i.e. if the Earth exchanges for one of the bodies, I am not interested in the long term effects of being in a binary system), rather I am interested in the effect the rapid changes in trajectory would have on life. That being said, we can exclude the possibility of a collision for the sake of the question.
3. Let's ignore the Sun's gravitational effects on this interaction for simplicity, and let's ignore the implications a system like this has on the moon and the resulting effects the moon has on us, also for simplicity.

The wordier version of my question in the title is this: what would happen to life as we know it if the Earth were to enter a chaotic trajectory from, say, binary-single interaction during the time the trajectory is chaotic (i.e. would we feel random forces pushing us in random directions on particularly sharp turns in the Earth's trajectory, would nothing happen at all, etc.)?

Below is a figure from [a seminal paper about binary-single interactions by Hut and Bahcall (1982)](https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1983ApJ...268..319H). In this scenario I am thinking of, the Earth would be 3, but the ultimate outcome doesn't particularly matter or the specifics of this illustration, rather it is to serve to convey the general idea of the chaotic trajectory I am referring to.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/K2Zk6.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/K2Zk6.png)

**Tags:** life

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You don't feel geodesic motion, but you do feel tides.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 I quite like your question! Some folks view our solar system motion as chaotic, but those are the folks who like to look hundreds of millions of years forward/backward to see how the planets move closer or further from the Sun, so we can understand your question to be about "really chaotic" or "pathologically chaotic" motion (though those are really not scientific terms). But it does seem that it's the occasional very close approaches that make this most interesting.  
> **username_2**: It's the occasional very close approaches that also make this hard to calculate with all but the best numerical integrators: ["Pythagorean Three Body Problem" - need some points from an accurate solution for comparison](https://space.stackexchange.com/q/15364/12102)  
> **username_2**: @username_1 *so far unanswered* (and now bountied) in Space SE: [What were Hubble's jerk and jounce limits? Did JWST have the same?](https://space.stackexchange.com/q/27005/12102) and also [The jerk limitation is 500 g/sec during “non-impact” flight. That’s an interesting exclusion...](https://space.stackexchange.com/a/27011/12102)  
> **username_1**: Let us [continue this discussion in chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/136498/discussion-between-username_1-and-username_2).  
> **username_3**: Then Cixin Liu would turn out to be wildly prophetic.  We better start building our own sophons right now  

---

## 0 answers

