arXiv subjects

Diego J. Muñoz

Publications and source records attributed to Diego J. Muñoz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Planet-Planet Secular Migration Predicts a Stellar Obliquity-Period Anti-Correlation

Stellar obliquities provide a fossil record of hot Jupiter (HJ) migration. An emerging observational trend in single-star systems is that strongly misaligned HJs are largely confined to short orbital periods, while longer-period HJs are preferentially aligned. This pattern cannot be explained by tidal dissipation in the star and may instead preserve clues to the migration pathway. We show that secular high-eccentricity migration driven by a distant planetary companion naturally produces such an obliquity--period correlation. In our simulations, the shortest-period HJs tend to be produced by the von Zeipel--Lidov--Kozai mechanism driven by highly inclined companions, which results in a broad range of final stellar obliquities. The longest-period HJs, on the other hand, are produced over longer timescales by coplanar high-eccentricity migration, which preserves low obliquities. The transition between these two limits is not abrupt, with intermediate-period HJs displaying a moderate range of obliquities. According to this interpretation, we predict that the shortest-period HJs should have distant planetary companions with broadly distributed mutual inclinations, whereas the companions of longer-period HJs should reside in nearly coplanar orbits. Upcoming Gaia astrometric constraints will provide a key test of this picture.

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arXiv2025

A Cold and Super-Puffy Planet on a Prograde Orbit

We report the discovery of TOI-4507 b, a transiting sub-Saturn with a density $<$ 0.2 g/cm$^3$ on a 105-day prograde orbit around a 700 Myr old F star. The transits were detected using data from TESS as well as the Antarctic telescope ASTEP. A joint analysis of the light curves and radial velocities from HARPS, FEROS, and CORALIE confirmed the planetary nature of the signal by limiting the mass to be below 20 $M_\oplus$ at 95% confidence. The radial velocities also exhibit the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect and imply that the planet orbits the star in a prograde orbit with a sky-projected obliquity $λ=-15_{-44}^{+50}$ deg ($|λ|<80$ deg at $3σ$). With these characteristics, TOI-4507 is one of the longest-period systems for which the stellar obliquity has been measured, and the planet is among the longest-period and youngest ''super-puff'' planets yet discovered.

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arXiv2025

The Spin-Orbit Alignment of 8 Warm Gas Giant Systems

Essential information about the formation and evolution of planetary systems can be found in their architectures -- in particular, in stellar obliquity ($ψ$) -- as they serve as a signature of their dynamical evolution. Here, we present ESPRESSO observations of the Rossiter-Mclaughlin (RM) effect of 8 warm gas giants, revealing that independent of the eccentricities, all of them have relatively aligned orbits. Our 5 warm Jupiters -- WASP-106 b, WASP-130 b, TOI-558 b, TOI-4515 b, and TOI-5027 b -- have sky-projected obliquities $|λ|\simeq0-10$ deg while the 2 less massive warm Saturns -- K2-139 b and K2-329 A b -- are slightly misaligned having $|λ|\simeq15-25$ deg. Furthermore, for K2-139 b, K2-329 A b, and TOI-4515 b, we also measure true 3D obliquities $ψ\simeq15-30$ deg. We also report a non-detection of the RM effect produced by TOI-2179 b. Through hierarchical Bayesian modeling of the true 3D obliquities of hot and warm Jupiters, we find that around single stars, warm Jupiters are statistically more aligned than hot Jupiters. Independent of eccentricities, 95\% of the warm Jupiters have $ψ\lesssim30$ deg with no misaligned planets, while hot Jupiters show an almost isotropic distribution of misaligned systems. This implies that around single stars, warm Jupiters form in primordially aligned protoplanetary disks and subsequently evolve in a more quiescent way than hot Jupiters. Finally, we find that Saturns may have slightly more misaligned orbits than warm Jupiters, but more obliquity measurements are necessary to be conclusive.

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arXiv2024

HATS-38 b and WASP-139 b join a growing group of hot Neptunes on polar orbits

We constrain the sky-projected obliquities of two low-density hot Neptune planets, HATS-38 b and WASP-139 b, orbiting nearby G and K stars using Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) observations with VLT/ESPRESSO, yielding $λ= -108_{-16}^{+11}$ deg and $-85.6_{-4.2}^{+7.7}$ deg, respectively. To model the RM effect, we use a new publicly available code, ironman, which is capable of jointly fitting transit photometry, Keplerian radial velocities, and RM effects. WASP-139 b has a residual eccentricity $e=0.103_{-0.041}^{+0.050}$ while HATS-38 b has an eccentricity of $e=0.112_{-0.070}^{+0.072}$, which is compatible with a circular orbit given our data. Using the obliquity constraints, we show that they join a growing group of hot and low-density Neptunes on polar orbits. We use long-term radial velocities to rule out companions with masses $\sim 0.3-50$ $M_J$ within $\sim10$ au. We show that the orbital architectures of the two Neptunes can be explained with high-eccentricity migration from $\gtrsim 2$ au driven by an unseen distant companion. If HATS-38b has no residual eccentricity, its polar and circular orbit can also be consistent with a primordial misalignment. Finally, we performed a hierarchical Bayesian modeling of the true obliquity distribution of Neptunes and found suggestive evidence for a higher preponderance of polar orbits of hot Neptunes compared to Jupiters. However, we note that the exact distribution is sensitive to the choice of priors, highlighting the need for additional obliquity measurements of Neptunes to robustly compare the hot Neptune obliquity distribution to Jupiters.

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arXiv2023

The Aligned Orbit of the Eccentric Proto Hot Jupiter TOI-3362b

High-eccentricity tidal migration predicts the existence of highly eccentric proto-hot Jupiters on the "tidal circularization track," meaning that they might eventually become hot Jupiters, but that their migratory journey remains incomplete. Having experienced moderate amounts of the tidal reprocessing of their orbital elements, proto-hot Jupiters systems can be powerful test beds for the underlying mechanisms of eccentricity growth. Notably, they may be used for discriminating between variants of high-eccentricity migration, each predicting a distinct evolution of misalignment between the star and the planet's orbit. We constrain the spin-orbit misalignment of the proto-hot Jupiter TOI-3362b with high-precision radial velocity observations using ESPRESSO at VLT. The observations reveal a sky-projected obliquity $λ= 1.2_{-2.7}^{+2.8}$ deg and constrain the orbital eccentricity to $e=0.720 \pm 0.016$, making it one of the most eccentric gas giants for which the obliquity has been measured. The large eccentricity and the striking orbit alignment of the planet suggest that ongoing coplanar high-eccentricity migration driven by a distant companion is a possible explanation for the system's architecture. This distant companion would need to reside beyond 5 au at 95% confidence to be compatible with the available radial velocity observations.

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arXiv2023

Orbital alignment of the eccentric warm Jupiter TOI-677 b

Warm Jupiters lay out an excellent laboratory for testing models of planet formation and migration. Their separation from the host star makes tidal reprocessing of their orbits ineffective, which preserves the orbital architectures that result from the planet-forming process. Among the measurable properties, the orbital inclination with respect to the stellar rotational axis, stands out as a crucial diagnostic for understanding the migration mechanisms behind the origin of close-in planets. Observational limitations have made the procurement of spin-orbit measurements heavily biased toward hot Jupiter systems. In recent years, however, high-precision spectroscopy has begun to provide obliquity measurements for planets well into the warm Jupiter regime. In this study, we present Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) measurements of the projected obliquity angle for the warm Jupiter TOI-677 b using ESPRESSO at the VLT. TOI-677 b exhibits an extreme degree of alignment ($λ= 0.3 \pm 1.3$ deg), which is particularly puzzling given its significant eccentricity ($e \approx 0.45$). TOI-677 b thus joins a growing class of close-in giants that exhibit large eccentricities and low spin-orbit angles, which is a configuration not predicted by existing models. We also present the detection of a candidate outer brown dwarf companion on an eccentric, wide orbit ($e \approx 0.4$ and $P \approx 13$ yr). Using simple estimates, we show that this companion is unlikely to be the cause of the unusual orbit of TOI-677 b. Therefore, it is essential that future efforts prioritize the acquisition of RM measurements for warm Jupiters.

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arXiv2023

Three long period transiting giant planets from TESS

We report the discovery and orbital characterization of three new transiting warm giant planets. These systems were initially identified as presenting single transit events in the light curves generated from the full frame images of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Follow-up radial velocity measurements and additional light curves were used to determine the orbital periods and confirm the planetary nature of the candidates. The planets orbit slightly metal-rich late F- and early G-type stars. We find that TOI 4406b has a mass of $M_P$= 0.30 $\pm$ 0.04 $M_J$ , a radius of $R_P$= 1.00 $\pm$ 0.02 $R_J$ , and a low eccentricity orbit (e=0.15 $\pm$ 0.05) with a period of P= 30.08364 $\pm$ 0.00005 d . TOI 2338b has a mass of $M_P$= 5.98 $\pm$ 0.20 $M_J$ , a radius of $R_P$= 1.00 $\pm$ 0.01 $R_J$ , and a highly eccentric orbit (e= 0.676 $\pm$ 0.002 ) with a period of P= 22.65398 $\pm$ 0.00002 d . Finally, TOI 2589b has a mass of $M_P$= 3.50 $\pm$ 0.10 $M_J$ , a radius of $R_P$= 1.08 $\pm$ 0.03 $R_J$ , and an eccentric orbit (e = 0.522 $\pm$ 0.006 ) with a period of P= 61.6277 $\pm$ 0.0002 d . TOI 4406b and TOI 2338b are enriched in metals compared to their host stars, while the structure of TOI 2589b is consistent with having similar metal enrichment to its host star.

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arXiv2023

Circumbinary Accretion: From Binary Stars to Massive Binary Black Holes

We review recent works on the dynamics of circumbinary accretion, including time variability, angular momentum transfer between the disk and the binary, and the secular evolution of accreting binaries. These dynamics can impact stellar binary formation/evolution, circumbinary planet formation/migration, and the evolution of (super)massive black-hole binaries. We discuss the dynamics and evolution of inclined/warped circumbinary disks and connect with recent observations of protoplanetary disks. A special kind of circumbinary accretion involves binaries embedded in "big" disks, which may contribute to the mergers of stellar-mass black holes in AGN disks. Highlights include: $\bullet$ Circumbinary accretion is highly variable, being modulated at $P_{\rm b}$ (the binary period) or $\sim 5P_{\rm p}$, depending on the binary eccentricity $e_{\rm b}$ and mass ratio $q_{\rm b}$. $\bullet$ The inner region of the circumbinary disk can develop coherent eccentric structure, which may modulate the accretion and affect the physical processes (e.g. planet migration) taking place in the disk. $\bullet$ Over long timescales, circumbinary accretion steers binaries toward equal masses, and it does not always lead to binary orbital decay, as is commonly assumed. The secular orbital evolution depends on the binary parameters ($e_{\rm b}$ and $q_{\rm b}$), and on the thermodynamic properties of the accreting gas. $\bullet$ A misaligned disk around a low-eccentricity binary tends to evolve toward coplanarity due to viscous dissipation. But when $e_{\rm b}$ is significant, the disk can evolve toward "polar alignment", with the disk plane perpendicular to the binary plane.

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arXiv2022

Eccentric Mergers of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes from Evection Resonances in AGN Disks

We apply the theory of nonlinear resonance capture to the problem of a black hole binary (BHB) orbiting a supermassive black hole (SMBH) while embedded in the accretion disk of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). If successful, resonance capture can trigger dramatic growth in the BHB eccentricity, with important consequences for the BHB merger timescale, as well as for the gravitational wave (GW) signature of such an eccentric merger. This resonance capture may occur when the orbital period around the SMBH (the "outer binary") and the apsidal precession of the BHB (the "inner binary") are in a 1:1 commensurability. This effect is analogous to the phenomenon of lunar evection resonance in the early Sun-Earth-Moon system, with the distinction that in the present case, the BHB apsidal precession is due to general relativity, rather than rotationally-induced distortion. In contrast to the case of lunar evection, however, the inner binary undergoes orbital decay driven by GW emission, rather than orbital expansion driven by tidal dissipation. This distinction fundamentally alters the three-body dynamics, forbidding resonance capture, and limiting eccentricity growth. However, if the BHB migrates through of a gaseous AGN disk, the change in the outer binary can counterbalance the suppressing effect of BHB decay, permitting evection resonance capture and the production of eccentric BHB mergers. We compute the likelihood of resonance capture assuming an agnostic distribution of parameters for the three bodies involved and for the properties of the AGN disk. We find that intermediate-mass ratio BHBs (involving an intermediate-mass black hole and a stellar-mass black hole) are the most likely to be captured into evection resonance and thus undergo an eccentric merger. We also compute the GW signature of these mergers, showing that they can enter the LISA band while eccentric.

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arXiv2021

Outward Migration of Super-Jupiters

Recent simulations show that giant planets of about one Jupiter mass migrate inward at a rate that differs from the Type II prediction. Here we show that at higher masses, planets migrate outward. Our result differs from previous ones because of our longer simulation times, lower viscosity, and our boundary conditions that allow the disk to reach viscous steady state. We show that, for planets on circular orbits, the transition from inward to outward migration coincides with the known transition from circular to eccentric disks that occurs for planets more massive than a few Jupiters. In an eccentric disk, the torque on the outer disk weakens due to two effects: the planet launches weaker waves, and those waves travel further before damping. As a result, the torque on the inner disk dominates, and the planet pushes itself outward. Our results suggest that the many super-Jupiters observed by direct-imaging at large distances from the star may have gotten there by outward migration.

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arXiv2020

Long-Lived Eccentric Modes in Circumbinary Disks

Hydrodynamical simulations show that circumbinary disks become eccentric, even when the binary is circular. Here we demonstrate that, in steady state, the disk's eccentricity behaves as a long-lived free mode trapped by turning points that naturally arise from a continuously truncated density profile. Consequently, both the disk's precession rate and eccentricity profile may be calculated via the simple linear theory for perturbed pressure-supported disks. By formulating and solving the linear theory we find that (i) surprisingly, the precession rate is roughly determined by the binary's quadrupole, even when the quadrupole is very weak relative to pressure; (ii) the eccentricity profile is largest near the inner edge of the disk, and falls exponentially outwards; and (iii) the results from linear theory indeed agree with what is found in simulations. Understanding the development of eccentric modes in circumbinary disks is a crucial first step for understanding the long term (secular) exchange of eccentricity, angular momentum and mass between the binary and the gas. Potential applications include the search for a characteristic kinematic signature in disks around candidate binaries and precession-induced modulation of accretion over long timescales.

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arXiv2020

Kozai Migration Naturally Explains the White Dwarf Planet WD1856b

The Jovian-sized object WD~1856~b transits a white dwarf (WD) in a compact $1.4$-day orbit. Unlikely to have endured stellar evolution in its current orbit, WD~1856~b is thought to have migrated from much wider separations. Because the WD is old, and a member of a well-characterized hierarchical multiple, the well-known Kozai mechanism provides an effective migration channel for WD~1856~b. Moreover, the lack of tides in the star allows us to directly connect the current semi-major axis to the pre-migration one, from which we can infer the initial conditions of the system. By further demanding that successful migrators survive all previous phases of stellar evolution, we are able to constrain the mass of WD~1856~b to be $\simeq0.7-3M_{\rm J}$ and its main sequence semi-major axis to be $\simeq 2-2.5$ au. These properties imply that WD~1856~b was born a typical gas giant. We further estimate the occurrence rate of Kozai-migrated planets around WDs to be ${\cal O}(10^{-3}{-}10^{-4})$, suggesting that WD~1856~b is the only one in the {\it TESS} sample, but implying ${\cal O}(10^2)$ future detections by LSST. In a sense, WD~1856~b was an ordinary Jovian planet that underwent an extraordinary dynamical history.

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arXiv2020

A disk-driven resonance as the origin of high inclinations of close-in planets

The recent characterization of transiting close-in planets has revealed an intriguing population of sub-Neptunes with highly tilted and even polar orbits relative to their host star's equator. Any viable theory for the origin of these close-in, polar planets must explain (1) the observed stellar obliquities, (2) the substantial eccentricities, and (3) the existence of Jovian companions with large mutual inclinations. In this work, we propose a theoretical model that satisfies these requirements without invoking tidal dissipation or large primordial inclinations. Instead, tilting is facilitated by the protoplanetary disk dispersal during the late stage of planet formation, initiating a process of resonance sweeping and parametric instability. This mechanism consists of two steps. First, a nodal secular resonance excites the inclination to large values; then, once the inclination reaches a critical value, a linear eccentric instability is triggered, which detunes the resonance and ends inclination growth. The critical inclination is pushed to high values by general relativistic precession, making polar orbits an inherently post-Newtonian outcome. Our model predicts that polar, close-in sub-Neptunes coexist with cold Jupiters in low stellar obliquity orbits.

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arXiv2019

Hydrodynamics of circumbinary accretion: Angular momentum transfer and binary orbital evolution

We carry out 2D viscous hydrodynamical simulations of circumbinary accretion using the AREPO code. We self-consistently compute the accretion flow over a wide range of spatial scales, from the circumbinary disk (CBD) far from the central binary, through accretion streamers, to the disks around individual binary components, resolving the flow down to 2% of the binary separation. We focus on equal-mass binaries with arbitrary eccentricities. We evolve the flow over long (viscous) timescales until a quasi-steady is reached, in which the mass supply rate at large distances $\dot{M}_0$ (assumed constant) equals the time-averaged mass transfer rate across the disk and the total mass accretion rate onto the binary components. This quasi-steady state allows us to compute the secular angular momentum transfer rate onto the binary, $\langle\dot{J}_b\rangle$, and the resulting orbital evolution. Through direct computation of the gravitational and accretion torques on the binary, we find that $\langle\dot{J}_b\rangle$ is consistently positive (i.e., the binary gains angular momentum), with $l_0\equiv\langle\dot{J}_b\rangle/\dot M_0$ in the range of $(0.4-0.8)a_b^2Ω_b$, depending on the binary eccentricity (where $a_b,~Ω_b$ are the binary semi-major axis and angular frequency); we also find that this $\langle\dot{J}_b\rangle$ is equal to the net angular momentum current across the CBD, indicating that global angular momentum balance is achieved in our simulations. We compute the time-averaged rate of change of the binary orbital energy for eccentric binaries, and thus obtain the secular rates $\langle\dot a_b\rangle$ and $\langle \dot{e}_b\rangle$. In all cases, $\langle\dot{a}_b\rangle$ is positive, i.e., the binary expands while accreting. We discuss the implications of our results for the merger of supermassive binary black holes and for the formation of close stellar binaries.

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arXiv2018

Statistical Trends in the Obliquity Distribution of Exoplanet Systems

Important clues on the formation and evolution of planetary systems can be inferred from the stellar obliquity $ψ$. We study the distribution of obliquities using the California-Kepler Survey and the TEPCat Catalog of Rossiter-MacLaughlin (RM) measurements, from which we extract, respectively, 275 and 118 targets. We infer a "best fit" obliquity distribution in $ψ$ with a single parameter $κ$. Large values of $κ$ imply that $ψ$ is distributed narrowly around zero, while small values imply approximate isotropy. Our findings are: (1) The distribution of $ψ$ in Kepler systems is narrower than found by previous studies and consistent with $κ\sim15$ (mean $\langleψ\rangle\sim19^\circ$ and spread $ψ\sim10^\circ$). (2) The value of $κ$ in Kepler systems does not depend, at a statistically significant level, on planet multiplicity, stellar multiplicity or stellar age; on the other hand, metal-rich hosts, small planet hosts and long-period planet hosts tend to be more oblique than the general sample (at a $\sim$2.5-$σ$ significance level). (3) Hot Jupiter (HJ) systems with RM measurements are consistent with $κ\sim2$, more broadly distributed than the general Kepler population. (4) A separation of the RM sample into cooler ($T_{\rm eff}\lesssim$6250 K) and hotter ($T_{\rm eff}\gtrsim$6250 K) HJ hosts results in two distinct distributions, $κ_{\rm cooler}\sim4$ and $κ_{\rm hotter}\sim1$ (4-$σ$ significance), both more oblique than the Kepler sample. We hypothesize that the total mass in planets may be behind the increasing obliquity with metallicity and planet radius, and that the period dependence could be due to primordial disk alignment rather than realignment of stellar spin.

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arXiv2016

Planetary engulfment as a trigger for white dwarf pollution

The presence of a planetary system can shield a planetesimal disk from the secular gravitational perturbations due to distant outer massive objects (planets or stellar companions). As the host star evolves off the main sequence to become a white dwarf, these planets can be engulfed, triggering secular instabilities and leading to the tidal disruptions of small rocky bodies. These disrupted bodies can feed the white dwarfs with rocky material and possibly explain the high-metallicity material in their atmospheres. We illustrate how this mechanism can operate when the gravitational perturbations are due to the Kozai-Lidov mechanism from a stellar binary companion. We show that this mechanism can explain the observed levels of accretion if: (1) the planetary engulfment happens fast compared to the secular timescale, which is generally the case for wide binaries ($>100$ AU) and planetary engulfment during the Asymptotic Giant Branch; (2) the planetesimal disk has a total mass of $\sim10^{-4}-10^{-2}M_\oplus$. We show that this new mechanism can provide a steady supply of material throughout the entire life of the white dwarfs for all cooling ages and can account for a large fraction (up to nearly half) of the observed polluted WDs.

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arXiv2016

Pulsed Accretion onto Eccentric and Circular Binaries

We present numerical simulations of circumbinary accretion onto eccentric and circular binaries using the moving-mesh code AREPO. This is the first set of simulations to tackle the problem of binary accretion using a finite-volume scheme on a freely moving mesh, which allows for accurate measurements of accretion onto individual stars for arbitrary binary eccentricity. While accretion onto a circular binary shows bursts with period of ~5 times the binary period P_b,accretion onto an eccentric binary is predominantly modulated at the period ~1P_b. For an equal-mass circular binary, the accretion rates onto individual stars are quite similar to each other, following the same variable pattern in time. By contrast, for eccentric binaries, one of the stars can accrete at a rate 10-20 times larger than its companion. This "symmetry breaking" between the stars, however, alternates over timescales of order 200 P_b, and can be attributed to a slowly precessing, eccentric circumbinary disk. Over longer timescales, the net accretion rates onto individual stars are the same, reaching a quasi-steady state with the circumbinary disk. These results have important implications for the accretion behavior of binary T-Tauri stars and supermassive binary black holes.

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arXiv2016

The formation efficiency of close-in planets via Lidov-Kozai migration: analytic calculations

Lidov-Kozai oscillations of planets in stellar binaries, combined with tidal dissipation, can lead to the formation of hot Jupiters (HJs) or tidal disruption of planets. Recent population synthesis studies have found that the fraction of systems resulting in HJs (F_HJ) depends strongly on the planet mass, host stellar type and tidal dissipation strength, while the total migration fraction F_mig = F_ HJ + F_dis (including both HJ formation and tidal disruption) exhibits much weaker dependence. We present an analytical method for calculating F_HJ and F_mig in the Lidov-Kozai migration scenario. The key ingredient of our method is to determine the critical initial planet-binary inclination angle that drives the planet to reach sufficiently large eccentricity for efficient tidal dissipation or disruption. This calculation includes the effects of the octupole potential and short-range forces on the planet. Our analytical method reproduces the resulting planet migration/disruption fractions from population synthesis, and can be easily implemented for various planet, stellar/companion types, and for different distributions of initial planetary semi-major axes, binary separations and eccentricities. We extend our calculations to planets in the super-Earth mass range and discuss the conditions for such planets to survive Lidov-Kozai migration and form close-in rocky planets.

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