Dynamics of Comets: Their Origin and Evolution

'This collection of papers...is likely to become one of the most well-thumbed books on the bookshelf of the cometary astronomer. This is partly due to the fact that a similar volume is unlikely to appear for another decade, but more importantly because the subject matter strikes right at the heart of current cometary research - their origins and dynamics. ... recommend this work as it provides an invaluable up-to-date summary of the subject. This will be of great benefit to those already working in the field and will also serve as an excellent introduction for newcomers.' The Observatory (August 1986) 'I can highly recommend Dynamics of Comets: Their Origin and Evolution as a source of many good discussions on this wide-ranging topic.' International Comet Quarterly (October 1987)

• Section I. Origin of Comets.- The origin of comets among the accreting outer planets (Invited).- Statistical test of the distribution of perihelion points and its implication for cometary origin.- Molecular clouds: comet factories?.- Dynamical interactions of the Solar System with massive nebulae.- Section II: The Oort Cloud of Comets.- The formation and dynamical survival of the comet cloud (Invited).- Empirical data from Oortf’s cloud.- Dynamical evolution of the Oort cloud.- Stellar perturbations on comets.- Some remarks about the aphelion distribution of long period comets on the sky.- Section III. Meteor Streams and Interrelations with Minor Planets.- The formation and evolution of meteor streams.- The transition between long period comets, short period comets and meteoroid streams.- The past and future of 1983 TB and its relationship to the Geminid meteor stream.- Interrelations between comets and asteroids (Invited).- On the rotation of cometary nuclei and small asteroids.- The orbital evolution of meteor streams at the 2/1 resonance with Jupiter (Extended abstract).- Dynamical effects of cometary bombardment of Saturn’s rings and moons (Extended abstract).- Section IV. Dynamics of Comets: Numerical Modelling.- An efficient integrator that uses Gauss-Radau spacings (Invited).- The Long-Term Evolution Project.- Errors in numerical integrations and chaotic motions.- One of the problems of long-term integrations of cometary orbits.- The role of the researches of E.I. Kazimirchak-Polonskaya on the dynamical evolution of short-period comets.- Review of studies on capture of comets by Neptune and its role in the dynamic evolution of cometary orbits.- Section V. Dynamics of Comets.- Statistical and numerical studies of the orbital evolution of short-period comets(Invited).- The aging and lifetimes of comets (Invited).- Planetary perturbations, dynamical energy and evolution of orbital elements of periodic comets.- The problem of the 1/a-distribution and cometary fading.- First results of the integration of motion of short-period comets over 800 years.- Section VI. Nongravitational Forces.- Nongravitational forces on comets: the first fifteen years (Invited).- Do comet groups exist?.- A study of the pre-discovery motion of the two asteroids 1983 SA and 1983 XF.- Influence of non-gravitational forces on the orbital evolution of the short-period comets.- On the nongravitational effects in the comet Encke motion.- Section VII. Comet P/Halley and Future Missions to Comets.- The dynamical history of comet Halley (Invited).- The past orbit of comet Halley and its meteor stream.- The International Cometary Explorer (ICE) Mission to comet Giacobini-Zinner (G/Z).- The selection of comets for future space missions.- Name Index.- Discussion Index.- List of Participants.