2009ApJ...694.1566S -
Astrophys. J., 694, 1566-1576 (2009/April-1)
The stability and dynamics of planets in tight binary systems.
SALEH L.A. and RASIO F.A.
Abstract (from CDS):
Planets have been observed in tight binary systems with separations less than 20 AU. A likely formation scenario for such systems involves a dynamical capture, after which high relative inclinations are likely and may lead to Kozai oscillations. We numerically investigate the fate of an initially coplanar double-planet system in a class of binaries with separation ranging between 12 and 20 AU. Dynamical integrations of representative four-body systems are performed, each including a hot Jupiter and a second planet on a wider orbit. We find that, although such systems can remain stable at low relative inclinations (≲40°), high relative inclinations are likely to lead to instabilities. This can be avoided if the planets are placed in a Kozai-stable zone within which mutual gravitational perturbations can suppress the Kozai mechanism. We investigate the possibility of inducing Kozai oscillations in the inner orbit by a weak coupling mechanism between the planets in which the coplanarity is broken due to a differential nodal precession. Propagating perturbations from the stellar companion through a planetary system in this manner can have dramatic effects on the dynamical evolution of planetary systems, especially in tight binaries and can offer a reasonable explanation for eccentricity trends among planets observed in binary systems. We find that inducing such oscillations into the orbit of a hot Jupiter is more likely in tight binaries and an upper limit can be set on the binary separation above which these oscillations are not observed.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
binaries: close - celestial mechanics - methods: N-body simulations - planetary systems
Simbad objects:
12
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