Theses and Dissertations Collection

While resonances determine the large-scale dynamical structure of planetary systems, interactions among the small bodies in these resonances impact their orbital evolution. We use numerical simulations to study the orbital evolution of interacting small bodies orbiting within two different locations in Saturn's rings, and of interacting equal-mass co-orbitals. Modeling the clumps in Saturn's D68 ringlet as co-orbital point-masses reveals the fragility of low-mass co-orbital satellite systems. Simulations of multiple massive bodies in a common corotation resonance site, such as the ring arc of Saturn's moon Aegaeon, reveal the importance of interaction timescales for multi-body orbital dynamics. We also investigate the planetary normal mode spectra of Uranus and Neptune to predict where in their rings we might expect to see resonant phenomena.