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What is the mechanism by which orbiting bodies exchange energy?



Gravity. Same as how space probes gain energy from a planet when they "slingshot" past. But this is two planets closer in mass/speed so the energy transfer is less profound.


Gravitational waves.


Gravitational waves from planets are undetectably small. They do it through gravity directly, as sandworm101 says. You can model it with pure Newtonian gravity and get resonance effects just fine.

See for instance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyn64b4LNJ0




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