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This thesis develops new and powerful methods for identifying planetary signals in the presence of “noise” generated by stellar activity, and explores the physical origin of stellar intrinsic variability, using unique observations of the Sun seen as a star. In particular, it establishes that the intrinsic stellar radial-velocity variations mainly arise from suppression of photospheric convection by magnetic fields. With the advent of powerful telescopes and instruments we are now on the verge of discovering real Earth twins in orbit around other stars. The intrinsic variability of the host stars themselves, however, currently remains the main obstacle to determining the masses of such small planets. The methods developed here combine Gaussian-process regression for modeling the correlated signals arising from evolving active regions on a rotating star, and Bayesian model selection methods for distinguishing genuine planetary signals from false positives produced by stellar magnetic activity. The findings of this thesis represent a significant step towards determining the masses of potentially habitable planets orbiting Sun-like stars. .

Physics. --- Observations, Astronomical. --- Astronomy --- Astrophysics. --- Space sciences. --- Astrobiology. --- Astronomy, Observations and Techniques. --- Astrophysics and Astroparticles. --- Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Sciences. --- Observations. --- Orbital mechanics. --- Extrasolar planets --- Stars with planets. --- Detection. --- SWP (Stars with planets) --- SWPs (Stars with planets) --- Detection of extrasolar planets --- Stars --- Astrodynamics --- Mechanics --- Orbits --- Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics, Space Exploration and Astronautics). --- Astrobiology --- Biology --- Habitable planets --- Life --- Astronomical physics --- Cosmic physics --- Physics --- Origin --- Astronomy—Observations. --- Astronomical observations --- Observations, Astronomical --- Science and space --- Space research --- Cosmology --- Science

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This prizewinning PhD thesis presents a general discussion of the orbital motion close to solar system small bodies (SSSBs), which induce non-central asymmetric gravitational fields in their neighborhoods. It introduces the methods of qualitative theory in nonlinear dynamics to the study of local/global behaviors around SSSBs. Detailed mechanical models are employed throughout this dissertation, and specific numeric techniques are developed to compensate for the difficulties of directly analyzing. Applying this method, several target systems, like asteroid 216 Kleopatra, are explored in great detail, and the results prove to be both revealing and pervasive for a large group of SSSBs. .

Physics. --- Computer simulation. --- Dynamics. --- Ergodic theory. --- Mechanics. --- Astrophysics. --- Statistical physics. --- Aerospace engineering. --- Astronautics. --- Astrophysics and Astroparticles. --- Aerospace Technology and Astronautics. --- Dynamical Systems and Ergodic Theory. --- Simulation and Modeling. --- Nonlinear Dynamics. --- Orbital mechanics. --- Gravitational fields. --- Fields, Gravitational --- Field theory (Physics) --- Gravitation --- Gravity --- Astrodynamics --- Mechanics --- Orbits --- Differentiable dynamical systems. --- Applications of Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos Theory. --- Classical Mechanics. --- Differential dynamical systems --- Dynamical systems, Differentiable --- Dynamics, Differentiable --- Differential equations --- Global analysis (Mathematics) --- Topological dynamics --- Space sciences --- Aeronautics --- Space flight --- Space vehicles --- Computer modeling --- Computer models --- Modeling, Computer --- Models, Computer --- Simulation, Computer --- Electromechanical analogies --- Mathematical models --- Simulation methods --- Model-integrated computing --- Classical mechanics --- Newtonian mechanics --- Physics --- Dynamics --- Quantum theory --- Mathematical statistics --- Ergodic transformations --- Continuous groups --- Mathematical physics --- Measure theory --- Transformations (Mathematics) --- Dynamical systems --- Kinetics --- Mathematics --- Mechanics, Analytic --- Force and energy --- Statics --- Aeronautical engineering --- Astronautics --- Engineering --- Astronomical physics --- Astronomy --- Cosmic physics --- Statistical methods