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Full-lifetime simulations of multiple unequal-mass planets across all phases of stellar evolution

Veras, D. ; Mustill, A.~J. LU orcid ; Gänsicke, B.~T. ; Redfield, S. ; Georgakarakos, N. ; Bowler, A.~B. and Lloyd, M.~J.~S. (2016) In Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 458. p.3942-3967
Abstract
We know that planetary systems are just as common around white dwarfs as around main-sequence stars. However, self-consistently linking a planetary system across these two phases of stellar evolution through the violent giant branch poses computational challenges, and previous studies restricted architectures to equal-mass planets. Here, we remove this constraint and perform over 450 numerical integrations over a Hubble time (14 Gyr) of packed planetary systems with unequal-mass planets. We characterize the resulting trends as a function of planet order and mass. We find that intrusive radial incursions in the vicinity of the white dwarf become less likely as the dispersion amongst planet masses increases. The orbital meandering which may... (More)
We know that planetary systems are just as common around white dwarfs as around main-sequence stars. However, self-consistently linking a planetary system across these two phases of stellar evolution through the violent giant branch poses computational challenges, and previous studies restricted architectures to equal-mass planets. Here, we remove this constraint and perform over 450 numerical integrations over a Hubble time (14 Gyr) of packed planetary systems with unequal-mass planets. We characterize the resulting trends as a function of planet order and mass. We find that intrusive radial incursions in the vicinity of the white dwarf become less likely as the dispersion amongst planet masses increases. The orbital meandering which may sustain a sufficiently dynamic environment around a white dwarf to explain observations is more dependent on the presence of terrestrial-mass planets than any variation in planetary mass. Triggering unpacking or instability during the white dwarf phase is comparably easy for systems of unequal-mass planets and systems of equal-mass planets; instabilities during the giant branch phase remain rare and require fine-tuning of initial conditions. We list the key dynamical features of each simulation individually as a potential guide for upcoming discoveries. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Methods: numerical, celestial mechanics, minor planets, asteroids: general, planets and satellites: dynamical evolution and stability, protoplanetary discs, white dwarfs
in
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
volume
458
pages
26 pages
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:84965035971
  • wos:000375799500048
ISSN
1365-2966
DOI
10.1093/mnras/stw476
project
Wallenberg Academy Fellow Project
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
86ed4757-25d4-4bb4-bd51-7b17868ba14d
date added to LUP
2016-08-16 16:01:20
date last changed
2024-02-19 01:28:37
@article{86ed4757-25d4-4bb4-bd51-7b17868ba14d,
  abstract     = {{We know that planetary systems are just as common around white dwarfs as around main-sequence stars. However, self-consistently linking a planetary system across these two phases of stellar evolution through the violent giant branch poses computational challenges, and previous studies restricted architectures to equal-mass planets. Here, we remove this constraint and perform over 450 numerical integrations over a Hubble time (14 Gyr) of packed planetary systems with unequal-mass planets. We characterize the resulting trends as a function of planet order and mass. We find that intrusive radial incursions in the vicinity of the white dwarf become less likely as the dispersion amongst planet masses increases. The orbital meandering which may sustain a sufficiently dynamic environment around a white dwarf to explain observations is more dependent on the presence of terrestrial-mass planets than any variation in planetary mass. Triggering unpacking or instability during the white dwarf phase is comparably easy for systems of unequal-mass planets and systems of equal-mass planets; instabilities during the giant branch phase remain rare and require fine-tuning of initial conditions. We list the key dynamical features of each simulation individually as a potential guide for upcoming discoveries.}},
  author       = {{Veras, D. and Mustill, A.~J. and Gänsicke, B.~T. and Redfield, S. and Georgakarakos, N. and Bowler, A.~B. and Lloyd, M.~J.~S.}},
  issn         = {{1365-2966}},
  keywords     = {{Methods: numerical; celestial mechanics; minor planets; asteroids: general; planets and satellites: dynamical evolution and stability; protoplanetary discs; white dwarfs}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  pages        = {{3942--3967}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society}},
  title        = {{Full-lifetime simulations of multiple unequal-mass planets across all phases of stellar evolution}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw476}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/mnras/stw476}},
  volume       = {{458}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}