A secular resonance occurs when a small body's free precession frequency equals a planetary secular eigenfrequency. Undamped linear theory then predicts resonant eccentricity growth.
Changing planetary masses or other system parameters move the frequencies of secular eigenmodes. A particle can cross a secular resonance when its free precession frequency meets a forcing frequency. Passage can change its free eccentricity and mix modes; a single scalar phase replacement generally cannot describe the response.
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Secular resonance refers to a specific dynamical interaction that occurs in celestial mechanics and relates to the long-term orbital evolution of celestial bodies, particularly in system dynamics involving planets, asteroids, and moons. Unlike regular resonance, which occurs at specific orbital periods, secular resonance involves the gravitational interactions between bodies whose orbital precession rates (the rate at which their orbits rotate or change orientation) are in a simple integer ratio.