Orbital Element in Celestial Mechanics and Astrophysics: An in-Depth Review

Abstract

Orbital Elements in Celestial Mechanics and Astrophysics: A Comprehensive Review

Orbital elements are the basic parameters used in the description of the orbits of natural or artificial celestial bodies. Though classical Keplerian orbital elements give a standard description of two-body problem orbits, actual orbits are affected by a set of perturbations such as the effect of a non-spherical gravitational field, third-body effects of gravitation, atmospheric drag, and solar radiation pressure [12], [25], [31]. Recent advances in the theoretical description of perturbation theories, highly accurate numerical models, and the incorporation of Machine Learning algorithms have increased the power of predictions as well as the monitoring of orbits in orbital dynamics [33], [45], [51]. Their astrophysical utilization, including the modeling of exoplanets’ orbits and asteroids’ co-orbital dynamics, has been carried out using a combination of theoretical models as well as computational models [62], [70] in astrophysics today.