Abstract

In the solar system’s present orbital configuration, dynamical coupling between the outer giant and inner terrestrial planets is relatively weak. Several lines of evidence suggest that large scale planet migration and redistribution of mass may have occurred in the past (e.g., the resonant structure of the Kuiper Belt). Such global restructuring would have resulted in the tuning and sweeping of the giant planets’ pertubations throughout the solar system. Further, the outward migration of Uranus and Neptune may post-date the formation of the inner planets (e.g., Levison et al. 2001, Gomes et al. 2005). In this talk I will discuss i) how late giant planet migration can result in strong dynamical coupling between the giant and terrestrial planets, and ii) the implications of these interactions for the solar system’s dynamical history.