Veras, Dimitri, Mustill, Alexander J., Gänsicke, B. T. (Boris T.), Redfield, Seth, Georgakarakos, Nikolaos, Bowler, Alex B. and Lloyd, Maximillian J. S. (2016) Full-lifetime simulations of multiple unequal-mass planets across all phases of stellar evolution. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 458 (4). pp. 3942-3967. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw476

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Abstract

We know that planetary systems are just as common around white dwarfs as around main-sequence stars. However, self-consistently linking a planetary system across these two phases of stellar evolution through the violent giant branch poses computational challenges, and previous studies restricted architectures to equal-mass planets. Here, we remove this constraint and perform over 450 numerical integrations over a Hubble time (14 Gyr) of packed planetary systems with unequal-mass planets. We characterize the resulting trends as a function of planet order and mass. We find that intrusive radial incursions in the vicinity of the white dwarf become less likely as the dispersion amongst planet masses increases. The orbital meandering which may sustain a sufficiently dynamic environment around a white dwarf to explain observations is more dependent on the presence of terrestrial-mass planets than any variation in planetary mass. Triggering unpacking or instability during the white dwarf phase is comparably easy for systems of unequal-mass planets and systems of equal-mass planets; instabilities during the giant branch phase remain rare and require fine-tuning of initial conditions. We list the key dynamical features of each simulation individually as a potential guide for upcoming discoveries.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Satellites, White dwarf stars, Celestial mechanics, Asteroids
Journal or Publication Title:	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	0035-8711
Official Date:	1 June 2016
Dates:	Date Event 1 June 2016 Published 1 March 2016 Available 25 February 2016 Accepted 25 February 2016 Submitted
Date of first compliant deposit:	19 April 2016
Volume:	458
Number:	4
Number of Pages:	26
Page Range:	pp. 3942-3967
DOI:	10.1093/mnras/stw476
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Funder:	European Research Council (ERC), Seventh Framework Programme (European Commission) (FP7), Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Sweden. Vetenskapsrådet [Research Council]
Grant number:	320964 (FP7), KAW 2012.0150 (KAW), 2011-3991 (S.V)
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