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arXiv · 1010.3705

A Population of Very-Hot Super-Earths in Multiple-Planet Systems Should be Uncovered by Kepler

Kevin C. Schlaufman·D. N. C. Lin·S. Ida
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Abstract

We simulate a Kepler-like observation of a theoretical exoplanet population and we show that the observed orbital period distribution of the Kepler giant planet candidates is best matched by an average stellar specific dissipation function Q_* in the interval 10^6 ~< Q_* ~< 10^7. In that situation, the few super-Earths that are driven to orbital periods P < 1 day by dynamical interactions in multiple-planet systems will survive tidal disruption for a significant fraction of the main-sequence lifetimes of their stellar hosts. Consequently, though these very-hot super-Earths are not characteristic of the overall super-Earth population, their substantial transit probability implies that they should be significant contributors to the full super-Earth population uncovered by Kepler. As a result, the CoRoT-7 system may be the first representative of a population of very-hot super-Earths that we suggest should be found in multiple-planet systems preferentially orbiting the least-dissipative stellar hosts in the Kepler sample.

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Kevin C. Schlaufman, D. N. C. Lin, S. Ida. 2010-10-18. A Population of Very-Hot Super-Earths in Multiple-Planet Systems Should be Uncovered by Kepler. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205%2F724%2F1%2Fl53

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