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Production of Star-grazing and Star-impacting Planetesimals via Orbital Migration of Extrasolar Planets
- Source :
- The Astronomical Journal. 119:397-402
- Publication Year :
- 2000
- Publisher :
- American Astronomical Society, 2000.
-
Abstract
- During the orbital migration of a giant extrasolar planet via ejection of planetesimals (as studied by Murray et al. in 1998), inner mean-motion resonances can be strong enough to cause planetesimals to graze or impact the star. We integrate numerically the motions of particles which pass through the 3:1 or 4:1 mean-motion resonances of a migrating Jupiter-mass planet. We find that many particles can be trapped in the 3:1 or 4:1 resonances and pumped to high enough eccentricities that they impact the star. This implies that for a planet migrating a substantial fraction of its semimajor axis, a fraction of its mass in planetesimals could impact the star. This process may be capable of enriching the metallicity of the star at a time when the star is no longer fully convective. Upon close approaches to the star, the surfaces of these planetesimals will be sublimated. Orbital migration should cause continuing production of evaporating bodies, suggesting that this process should be detectable with searches for transient absorption lines in young stars. The remainder of the particles will not impact the star but can be ejected subsequently by the planet as it migrates further inward. This allows the planet to migrate a substantial fraction of its initial semimajor axis by ejecting planetesimals.
- Subjects :
- Physics
Planetesimal
Metallicity
Astronomy
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Exoplanet
Space and Planetary Science
Planet
Stellar dynamics
Astrophysics::Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Formation and evolution of the Solar System
Protoplanet
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Planetary migration
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00046256
- Volume :
- 119
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Astronomical Journal
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi...........f9897b798e21b338845ec2b7f2505eec