Chaos in Astrophysics

The per iod of an oscillator tells us much about its structure. J. J. Thomson''s deduction that a particle with the e/rn of an electron was in the atom is perhaps the most stunning instance. For us, the deduction of the mean density of a star from its oscillation period is another important example. What then can we deduce about an oscillator that is not periodic? If there are several frequencies ...