SearcharxivSearch

arXiv · 2003.11682

Earth-size planet formation in the habitable zone of circumbinary stars

Abstract

In this work is investigated the possibility of close-binary star systems having Earth-size planets within their habitable zones. First, we selected all known close-binary systems with confirmed planets (totaling 22 systems) to calculate the boundaries of their respective habitable zones (HZ). However, only eight systems had all the data necessary for the computation of the HZ. Then, we numerically explored the stability within the habitable zones for each one of the eight systems using test particles. From the results, we selected five systems that have stable regions inside the habitable zones (HZ), namely Kepler-34, 35, 38, 413 and 453. For these five cases of systems with stable regions in the HZ, we perform a series of numerical simulations for planet formation considering disks composed of planetary embryos and planetesimals, with two distinct density profiles, in addition to the stars and host planets of each system. We found that in the case of Kepler-34 and 453 systems no Earth-size planet is formed within the habitable zones. Although planets with Earth-like masses were formed in the Kepler-453, but they were outside the HZ. In contrast, for Kepler-35 and 38 systems, the results showed that potentially habitable planets are formed in all simulations. In the case of the Kepler-413 system, in just one simulation a terrestrial planet was formed within the habitable zone.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

G. O. Barbosa, O. C. Winter, A. Amarante, A. Izidoro, R. C. Domingos, E. E. N. Macau. 2020-03-26. Earth-size planet formation in the habitable zone of circumbinary stars. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa757

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

Planetary Accretion Is Less Frequent in Wide Binaries: Evidence from Metal-Enriched White Dwarfs in DESI DR1

Binary stars are common in the Galaxy, and understanding how stellar binarity influences the formation and evolution of planetary systems is an active area of research. In this study, we use metal-enriched white dwarfs in wide binaries as tracers of long-lived planetary systems. With Data Release 1 from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), we find that the fraction of cool metal-enriched white dwarfs in wide binaries is 9.8\,$\pm$\,2.1\%, significantly lower (4.7\,$\sigma$) than the 20.5\,$\pm$\,0.9\% in a control sample of single systems. Furthermore, we identify a tentative dependence of metal enrichment on projected separation and white dwarf effective temperature, where enrichment fraction decreases at smaller separations and lower temperatures. These findings indicate that, compared to single stars, binary systems either start with smaller initial planetary reservoirs due to suppressed planetesimal formation or undergo more rapid depletion of planetary material during the initial part of the white dwarf stage.

astro-ph.EP

The Mysterious Inspiral of WASP-12b: Why Obliquity Tides Cannot Drive Orbital Decay

WASP-12b's orbit is decaying, for unknown reasons. The planet's period is shrinking more rapidly than can be attributed to equilibrium tides or dynamical tides in a main-sequence star. Planetary obliquity tides could be sufficiently dissipative to drive WASP-12b's inspiral, but would also damp the planet's obliquity, halting the decay. Millholland & Laughlin proposed that a nearby, low-mass planet ($\sim 10$ M$_\oplus$) is maintaining a large obliquity for WASP-12b, sustaining the dissipation. We re-evaluated this hypothesis, finding that the companion must be more massive than originally proposed ($\gtrsim 65$ M$_\oplus$) to absorb WASP-12b's orbital angular momentum. Radial velocity data allowed us to rule out a companion of this type. Any companions within $3$ AU have $K \lesssim 14$ m/s at $95$% confidence.

astro-ph.EP

Lava Tube Exploration with LunarLeaper

Lunar pits, some of which are interpreted as collapse features into underlying lava tubes, expose otherwise inaccessible stratigraphy and may provide entry points to subsurface voids that preserve records of lunar volcanism and offer potential sites for future human exploration. We synthesize the current state of knowledge on lunar pits and lava tubes, covering their morphological characteristics, classification, proposed formation mechanisms, mechanical stability, and detection from orbit. We then review the open science questions that pit and pit-wall investigation is uniquely placed to address, spanning the volcanic stratigraphy of the lunar maria, the structure and lateral variability of the regolith, and the dimensions and accessibility of subsurface conduits. To evaluate how these questions can be tackled in situ, we assess the feasibility and expected performance of geophysical and remote-sensing investigations for subsurface voids and surface exposures, mainly focusing on gravity measurements, ground-penetrating radar, high-resolution imaging, and spectroscopy. Building on this, we present LunarLeaper, a small legged robot mission concept combining a gravimeter, ground-penetrating radar, high-resolution imager, spectrometer, and leg-based geomechanical experiments to deliver the first in situ investigation of a mare pit. The concept targets the Marius Hills Pit and its associated rille, with a mobility architecture optimized for the rugged terrain encountered at pit edges and funnel slopes.

astro-ph.EP