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Title:
On the Survival of Short-Period Terrestrial Planets
Authors:
Mardling, Rosemary A.; Lin, D. N. C.
Affiliation:
AA(Centre for Stellar and Planetary Astrophysics, School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia; ), AB(UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064)
Publication:
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 614, Issue 2, pp. 955-959. (ApJ Homepage)
Publication Date:
10/2004
Origin:
UCP
ApJ Keywords:
Celestial Mechanics, Stars: Planetary Systems, Relativity, Stars: Late-Type, Stars: Low-Mass, Brown Dwarfs
DOI:
10.1086/423794
Bibliographic Code:
2004ApJ...614..955M

Abstract

The currently feasible method of detecting Earth-mass planets is transit photometry, with detection probability decreasing with a planet's distance from the star. The existence or otherwise of short-period terrestrial planets will tell us much about the planet-formation process, and such planets are likely to be detected first, if they exist. Tidal forces are intense for short-period planets and result in decay of the orbit on a timescale that depends on properties of the star as long as the orbit is circular. However, if an eccentric companion planet exists, orbital eccentricity (ei, where i is the inner orbit) is induced, and the decay timescale depends on properties of the short-period planet, reduced by a factor of the order of 105e2i if it is terrestrial. Here we examine the influence companion planets have on the tidal and dynamical evolution of short-period planets with terrestrial structure, and we show that the relativistic potential of the star is fundamental to their survival.
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