Stability of additional planets in and around the habitable zone of the HD 47186 Planetary System Ravi kumar Kopparapu1,4 (original) (raw)
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Stability of Additional Planets in and Around the Habitable Zone of the HD 47186 Planetary System
2009
ABSTRACT We study the dynamical stability of an additional, potentially habitable planet in the HD 47186 planetary system. Two planets are currently known in this system: a" hot Neptune" with a period of 4.08 days and a Saturn-mass planet with a period of 3.7 years. Here we consider the possibility that one or more undetected planets exist between the two known planets and possibly within the habitable zone (HZ) in this system.
Dynamical Stability of Terrestrial and Giant Planets in the HD 155358 Planetary System
2007
The results of a study of the dynamical evolution and the habitability of the planetary system of HD 155358 are presented. This system is unique in that it is one of the two low metallicity stars discovered to host a multiple planet system. HD 155358 is host to two Jupiter-sized planets, with minimum masses of 0.86 and 0.50 Jupiter-masses. The orbit of the lower mass planet of this system is located at the inner edge of the system's habitable zone. To determine whether this system can harbor terrestrial-type planets, the orbits of its planets and an Earth-like object were numerically integrated for different values of their masses and orbital eccentricities. Results indicate that this system could potentially host stable orbits for terrestrial-sized planets in its habitable zone, but the stability of these orbits is very sensitive to the precise characteristics of the giant planets of the system. The long-term stability of larger bodies (Neptuneand Saturn-mass) was also studied ...
0 Se p 20 02 Dynamical Habitability of Known Extrasolar Planetary Systems
2008
Habitability is usually defined as the requirement for a terrestrial planet’s atmosphere to sustain liquid water. This definition can be complemented by the dynamical requirement that other planets in the system do not gravitationally perturb terrestrial planets outside of their habitable zone, the orbital region allowing the existence of liquid water. We quantify the dynamical habitability of 85 known extrasolar planetary systems via simulations of their orbital dynamics in the presence of potentially habitable terrestrial planets. When requiring that habitable planets remain strictly within their habitable zone at all time, the perturbing influence of giant planets extends beyond the traditional Hill sphere for close encounters: terrestrial planet excursions outside of the habitable zone are also caused by secular eccentricity variations and, in some cases, strong mean-motion resonances. Our results indicate that more than half the known extrasolar planetary systems (mostly those ...
Orbital Stability of Terrestrial Planets inside the Habitable Zones of Extrasolar Planetary Systems
The Astrophysical Journal, 2002
We investigate orbital stability of terrestrial planets inside the habitable zones of three stellar systems, i.e., 51 Peg, 47 UMa and HD 210277, with recently discovered giant planets. These systems have similar habitable zones, however, their giant planets have di erent masses and signi cantly di erent orbital parameters. It is shown that stable orbits of terrestrial planets exist in the entire habitable zone of 51 Peg as well as in the inner part of the habitable zone of 47 UMa, but no stable orbits are found in the habitable zone of HD 210277. The obtained results allow to draw general conclusions on the existence of stable orbits in the habitable zones of newly found extra-solar planetary systems.
Dynamical Stability and Habitability of Extra-Solar Planets
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 2011
Observations of about 60 binary star systems hosting exoplanets indicate the necessity of stability studies of planetary motion in such multi-stellar systems. For wide binary systems with separations between hundreds and thousands of AU, the results from single-star systems may be applicable but, in tight double stars systems, we have to take the stellar interactions into account which influences the planetary motion significantly.This review discusses the different types of planetary motion in double stars and the stability of the planets for different binary configurations. An application to the most famous tight binary system (γ Cephei) is also shown. Finally, we analyze the habitability from the dynamical point of view in such systems, where we discuss the motion of terrestrial-like planets in the so-called habitable zone.
An extrasolar planetary system with three Neptune-mass planets
2006
Over the past two years, the search for low-mass extrasolar planets has led to the detection of seven so-called 'hot Neptunes' or 'super-Earths' around Sun-like stars. These planets have masses 5-20 times larger than the Earth and are mainly found on close-in orbits with periods of 2-15 days. Here we report a system of three Neptune-mass planets with periods of 8.67, 31.6 and 197 days, orbiting the nearby star HD 69830. This star was already known to show an infrared excess possibly caused by an asteroid belt within 1 AU (the Sun-Earth distance). Simulations show that the system is in a dynamically stable configuration. Theoretical calculations favour a mainly rocky composition for both inner planets, while the outer planet probably has a significant gaseous envelope surrounding its rocky/icy core; the outer planet orbits within the habitable zone of this star.
Dynamics and stability of telluric planets within the habitable zone of extrasolar planetary systems
2008
Aims. We study gravitational perturbation effects of observed giant extrasolar planets on hypothetical Earth-like planets in the context of the three-body problem. This paper considers a large parameter survey of different orbital configuration of two extrasolar giant planets (HD 70642b and HD 4208b) and compares their dynamical effect on Earth-mass planetary orbits initially located within the respective habitable terrestrial region. We are interested in determining giant-planet orbit (and mass) parameters that favor the condition to render an Earth-mass planet to remain on a stable and bounded orbit within the continuous habitable zone. Methods. We applied symplectic numerical integration techniques to studying the short and long term time evolution of hypothetical Earth-mass planets that are treated as particles. In addition, we adopt the MEGNO technique to obtain a complete dynamical picture of the terrestrial phase space environment. Both multi-particle and single-particle simulations were performed to follow an Earth-mass planet in the habitable region and its subsequent long term evolution. Results. Our numerical simulations show that giant planets should be on circular orbits to minimize the perturbative effect on terrestrial orbits. The orbit eccentricity (and hence proximity) is the most important orbital parameter of dynamical significance. The most promising candidate for maintaining an Earth-mass planet on a stable and bounded orbit well-confined to the continuous habitable zone is HD 70642b. Even the large planetary mass of HD 70642b renders an Earth-mass planet habitable during the complete lifetime of the host star. The results allow us to extrapolate similar observed systems and points the necessity further constraining the uncertainty range in giant planet orbital eccentricity by future follow-up observations.
The HD 40307 Planetary System: Super-Earths or Mini-Neptunes?
The Astrophysical Journal, 2009
Three planets with minimum masses less than 10 M ⊕ orbit the star HD 40307, suggesting these planets may be rocky. However, with only radial velocity data, it is impossible to determine if these planets are rocky or gaseous. Here we exploit various dynamical features of the system in order to assess the physical properties of the planets. Observations allow for circular orbits, but a numerical integration shows that the eccentricities must be at least 10 −4 . Also, planets b and c are so close to the star that tidal effects are significant. If planet b has tidal parameters similar to the terrestrial planets in the Solar System and a remnant eccentricity larger than 10 −3 , then, going back in time, the system would have been unstable within the lifetime of the star (which we estimate to be 6.1±1.6 Gyr). Moreover, if the eccentricities are that large and the inner planet is rocky, then its tidal heating may be an order of magnitude greater than extremely volcanic Io, on a per unit surface area basis. If planet b is not terrestrial, e.g. Neptune-like, these physical constraints would not apply. This analysis suggests the planets are not terrestrial-like, and are more like our giant planets. In either case, we find that the planets probably formed at larger radii and migrated early-on (via disk interactions) into their current orbits. This study demonstrates how the orbital and dynamical properties of exoplanet systems may be used to constrain the planets' physical properties.
Stability analysis of single planet systems and their habitable zones
We study the dynamical stability of planetary systems consisting of one hypothetical terrestrial mass planet (1 or 10 M ⊕ ) and one massive planet (10 M ⊕ − 10 M jup ). We consider masses and orbits that cover the range of observed planetary system architectures (including non-zero initial eccentricities), determine the stability limit through N-body simulations, and compare it to the analytic Hill stability boundary. We show that for given masses and orbits of a two planet system, a single parameter, which can be calculated analytically, describes the Lagrange stability boundary (no ejections or exchanges) but which diverges significantly from the Hill stability boundary. However, we do find that the actual boundary is fractal, and therefore we also identify a second parameter which demarcates the transition from stable to unstable evolution. We show the portions of the habitable zones of ρ CrB, HD 164922, GJ 674, and HD 7924 which can support a terrestrial planet. These analyses clarify the stability boundaries in exoplanetary systems and demonstrate that, for most exoplanetary systems, numerical simulations of the stability of potentially habitable planets are only necessary over a narrow region of parameter space. Finally we also identify and provide a catalog of known systems which can host terrestrial planets in their habitable zones.
Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2004
We have undertaken a thorough dynamical investigation of five extrasolar planetary systems using extensive numerical experiments. The systems Gl 777 A, HD 72659, Gl 614, 47 Uma and HD 4208 were examined concerning the question of whether they could host terrestrial like planets in their habitable zones (=HZ). First we investigated the mean motion resonances between fictitious terrestrial planets and the existing gas giants in these five extrasolar systems. Then a fine grid of initial conditions for a potential terrestrial planet within the HZ was chosen for each system, from which the stability of orbits was then assessed by direct integrations over a time interval of 1 million years. The computations were carried out using a Lie-series integration method with an adaptive step size control. This integration method achieves machine precision accuracy in a highly efficient and robust way, requiring no special adjustments when the orbits have large eccentricities. The stability of orbits was examined with a determination of the Renyi entropy, estimated from recurrence plots, and with a more straight forward method based on the maximum eccentricity achieved by the planet over the 1 million year integration. Additionally, the eccentricity is an indication of the habitability of a terrestrial planet in the HZ; any value of e>0.2 produces a significant temperature difference on a planet's surface between apoapse and periapse. The results for possible stable orbits for terrestrial planets in habitable zones for the five systems are summarized as follows: for Gl 777 A nearly the entire HZ is stable, for 47 Uma, HD 72659 and HD 4208 terrestrial planets can survive for a sufficiently long time, while for Gl 614 our results exclude terrestrial planets moving in stable orbits within the HZ.