Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003dps....35.1819z&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #35, #18.19; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 35, p.1485
Other
2
Scientific paper
Close extrasolar planets with periods around a week are expected to have their orbits circularized quickly by the tides raised on the planet by its star. Recently, however, Bodenheimer et al (2003) have argued that two of these close ``hot Jupiters'' may have non-zero eccentricities. Unless solar tides are much weaker than expected, the presence of an elliptical orbit so close to a star requires forcing from a second planet in the system.
Motivated by this fact, we are undertaking a study of the secular (long-period) perturbations in a system of two planets including the effect of tidal damping. We identify, both analytically and numerically, two different damping timescales of the planetary eccentricities. The free eccentricities of both planets, which are due to initial conditions, are damped rapidly at a rate similar to that expected from tides (λ ). This also results in an alignment of the two pericenters (˜ ω1≈ ˜ ω2). The forced eccentricities of each planet, due to the other one, are then damped at a rate that is usually much slower. However, the rates are both equal to λ /2 when m12a_1=m_2^2a_2, where m1, m2 and a1, a2 are the masses and semi-major axes of the two planets. An additional feature of the solution is that the sum of these two damping rates is always λ . This solution is incomplete, however, becaue close extrasolar planets are also subject to strong perihelion precession from general relativity. This additional precession weakens the dynamical coupling between the planetary pair and effects the damping rates. Both our analytical and numerical techniques can be extended to include general relativity, and we are currently pursuing this. The solution will yield important constraints on properties of potential companions in extrasolar planetary systems.
Hamilton Douglas P.
Zhang Kaicheng
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