The Effects of Gravitational Waves on the Orbital Elements of the Planets

ABSTRACT

The present work is concerned with evaluation the effect of gravitational waves on a planetary orbit. The components of the acceleration resulting from this effect on the orbit of the planet are derived and the perturbing forces are computed. The perturbation method adopted makes use of Lagrange's planetary equations. Numerical study is done, using the Rung-Kutta fourth order method and the Mathematica software, and carried out for different sources of gravitational waves as well as the various values of planetary orbital elements.