The Possible Belts for Extrasolar Planetary Systems

AbstractMore than 100 extrasolar planets have been discovered since the 1990s. Unlike those of the solar system, these planets’ orbital eccentricities cover a huge range from 0 to 0.7. Incidentally, the first Kuiper belt object was discovered in 1992. Thus an interesting and important question will be whether extrasolar planetary systems could have structures like the Kuiper belt or asteroid belt. We investigate the stability of these planetary systems with different orbital eccentricities by similar procedures to Rabl & Dvorak (1988) and Holman & Wiegert (1999). We claim that most extrasolar planetary systems can have their own belts at the outer regions. However, we find that orbits with high eccentricity are very powerful in depletion of these populations.

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Nursery for Planets

From Dust to Life ◽

10.23943/princeton/9780691175706.003.0008 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

John Chambers ◽

Jacqueline Mitton

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Immanuel Kant ◽

Kuiper Belt ◽

Planetary Systems ◽

Protoplanetary Disks ◽

Young Stars ◽

Asteroid Belt ◽

Two Dimensional

This chapter illustrates how the solar system has a decidedly two-dimensional aspect to it. The orbits of the eight major planets all lie in almost the same plane, deviating by no more than seven degrees. Bodies in the asteroid belt and the Kuiper belt stray a little further afield, but these belts are arranged like flattened donuts, aligned with the same plane as the planets. Immanuel Kant and Pierre-Simon de Laplace noted the planar nature of the solar system and used this as the basis for their nebular theories in which the solar system grew out of a flattened disk of matter. Young stars like those in the constellation Orion are often surrounded by disk-shaped clouds of gas and dust. Astronomers quickly dubbed these “protoplanetary” disks, assuming that they will someday form planetary systems.

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From Dust to Life

10.23943/princeton/9780691175706.001.0001 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

John Chambers ◽

Jacqueline Mitton

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Extrasolar Planets ◽

Planetary Systems ◽

History Of Astronomy ◽

Human Origins ◽

History Of ◽

The Subject ◽

Emergence Of Life

The birth and evolution of our solar system is a tantalizing mystery that may one day provide answers to the question of human origins. This book tells the remarkable story of how the celestial objects that make up the solar system arose from common beginnings billions of years ago, and how scientists and philosophers have sought to unravel this mystery down through the centuries, piecing together the clues that enabled them to deduce the solar system's layout, its age, and the most likely way it formed. Drawing on the history of astronomy and the latest findings in astrophysics and the planetary sciences, the book offers the most up-to-date and authoritative treatment of the subject available. It examines how the evolving universe set the stage for the appearance of our Sun, and how the nebulous cloud of gas and dust that accompanied the young Sun eventually became the planets, comets, moons, and asteroids that exist today. It explores how each of the planets acquired its unique characteristics, why some are rocky and others gaseous, and why one planet in particular—our Earth—provided an almost perfect haven for the emergence of life. The book takes readers to the very frontiers of modern research, engaging with the latest controversies and debates. It reveals how ongoing discoveries of far-distant extrasolar planets and planetary systems are transforming our understanding of our own solar system's astonishing history and its possible fate.

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Retrograde resonances in compact multi-planetary systems: a feasible stabilizing mechanism

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921308017055 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 3 (S249) ◽

pp. 511-516 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Julie Gayon ◽

Eric Bois

Keyword(s):

Body Problem ◽

Extrasolar Planets ◽

Planetary Systems ◽

Central Star ◽

Point Of View ◽

Outer Planet ◽

Mean Motion Resonances ◽

Hot Jupiters ◽

The Stability ◽

Orbital Data

AbstractMulti-planet systems detected until now are in most cases characterized by hot-Jupiters close to their central star as well as high eccentricities. As a consequence, from a dynamical point of view, compact multi-planetary systems form a variety of the general N-body problem (with N ≥ 3), whose solutions are not necessarily known. Extrasolar planets are up to now found in prograde (i.e. direct) orbital motions about their host star and often in mean-motion resonances (MMR). In the present paper, we investigate a theoretical alternative suitable for the stability of compact multi-planetary systems. When the outer planet moves on a retrograde orbit in MMR with respect to the inner planet, we find that the so-called retrograde resonances present fine and characteristic structures particularly relevant for dynamical stability. We show that retrograde resonances and their resources open a family of stabilizing mechanisms involving specific behaviors of apsidal precessions. We also point up that for particular orbital data, retrograde MMRs may provide more robust stability compared to the corresponding prograde MMRs.

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The Locations of Secular Resonances and the Evolution of Small Solar System Bodies

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900091026 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 152 ◽

pp. 123-132

Author(s):

Ch Froeschle ◽

P. Farinella ◽

C. Froeschle ◽

Z. Knežević ◽

A. Milani

Keyword(s):

Perturbation Theory ◽

Solar System ◽

Small Body ◽

Kuiper Belt ◽

Dynamical Evolution ◽

Asteroid Belt ◽

Secular Resonances ◽

Outer Planets ◽

Proper Elements ◽

Solar System Bodies

Generalizing the secular perturbation theory of Milani and Knežević (1990), we have determined in the a — e — I proper elements space the locations of the secular resonances between the precession rates of the longitudes of perihelion and node of a small body and the corresponding eigenfrequencies of the secular perturbations of the four outer planets. We discuss some implications of the results for the dynamical evolution of small solar system bodies. In particular, our findings include: (i) the fact that the g = g6 resonance in the inner asteroid belt lies closer than previously assumed to the Flora region, providing a plausible dynamical route to inject asteroid fragments into planet-crossing orbits; (ii) the possible presence of some low-inclination “stable islands” between the orbits of the outer planets; (iii) the fact that none of the secular resonances considered in this work exists for semimajor axes > 50 AU, so that these resonances do not provide a mechanism for transporting inwards possible Kuiper–belt comets.

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The solar nebula origin of (486958) Arrokoth, a primordial contact binary in the Kuiper Belt

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aay6620 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 367 (6481) ◽

pp. eaay6620 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

W. B. McKinnon ◽

D. C. Richardson ◽

J. C. Marohnic ◽

J. T. Keane ◽

W. M. Grundy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Kuiper Belt ◽

Solid Particles ◽

Early Solar System ◽

Low Velocity ◽

Kuiper Belt Object ◽

New Horizons ◽

Contact Binary ◽

Collapsing Cloud ◽

Gas Drag

The New Horizons spacecraft’s encounter with the cold classical Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69) revealed a contact-binary planetesimal. We investigated how Arrokoth formed and found that it is the product of a gentle, low-speed merger in the early Solar System. Its two lenticular lobes suggest low-velocity accumulation of numerous smaller planetesimals within a gravitationally collapsing cloud of solid particles. The geometric alignment of the lobes indicates that they were a co-orbiting binary that experienced angular momentum loss and subsequent merger, possibly because of dynamical friction and collisions within the cloud or later gas drag. Arrokoth’s contact-binary shape was preserved by the benign dynamical and collisional environment of the cold classical Kuiper Belt and therefore informs the accretion processes that operated in the early Solar System.

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Physical Modeling of the Zodiacal Dust Cloud

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900225850 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 204 ◽

pp. 17-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leonid M. Ozernoy

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Physical Modeling ◽

Interstellar Dust ◽

Extrasolar Planets ◽

Dust Cloud ◽

Interplanetary Dust ◽

Asteroid Belt ◽

Dust Particles ◽

Resonant Structure ◽

Zodiacal Light

This review is based on extensive work done in collaboration with N. Gorkavyi, J. Mather, and T. Taidakova, which aimed at physical modeling of the interplanetary dust (IPD) cloud in the Solar System, i.e., establishing a link between the observable characteristics of the zodiacal cloud and the dynamical and physical properties of the parent minor bodies. Our computational approach permits one to integrate the trajectories of hundreds of particles and to effectively store up to 1010–11 positions with modest computer resources, providing a high fidelity 3D distribution of the dust. Our numerical codes account for the major dynamical effects that govern the motion of IPD particles: Poynting-Robertson (P-R) drag and solar wind drag; solar radiation pressure; particle evaporation; gravitational scattering by the planets; and the influence of mean-motion resonances. The incorporation of secular resonances and collisions of dust particles (both mutual and with interstellar dust) is underway. We have demonstrated the efficacy of our codes by performing the following analyses: (i) simulation of the distribution of Centaurs (comets scattered in their journey from the Kuiper belt inward in the Solar System) and revealing the effects of the outer planets in producing ‘cometary belts’; (ii) detailed inspection of a rich resonant structure found in these belts, which predicts the existence of gaps similar to the Kirkwood gaps in the main asteroid belt; (iii) a preliminary 3-D physical model of the IPD cloud, which includes three dust components – asteroidal, cometary, and kuiperoidal – and is consistent with the available data of Pioneer and Voyager dust detectors; (iv) modeling of the IPD cloud, which provides a zodiacal light distribution in accord, to the order of 1%, with a subset of the COBE/DIRBE observations; and (v) showing that the resonant structure in dusty circumstellar disks of Vega and Epsilon Eridani is a signature of embedded extrasolar planets. Further improvements of our modeling and their importance for astronomy and cosmology are outlined.

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The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

Science ◽

10.1126/science.aay3999 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 367 (6481) ◽

pp. eaay3999 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

J. R. Spencer ◽

S. A. Stern ◽

J. M. Moore ◽

H. A. Weaver ◽

K. N. Singer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Smooth Surface ◽

Kuiper Belt ◽

Solar System Formation ◽

Small Bodies ◽

Kuiper Belt Object ◽

New Horizons ◽

Geological Features ◽

Solar System Bodies ◽

Contact Binary

The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, is composed of primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. In January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36-kilometer-long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69). Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters in diameter) within a radius of 8000 kilometers. Arrokoth has a lightly cratered, smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism.

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Formation and Orbital Evolution of Planets

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921311027980 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (S282) ◽

pp. 429-436

Author(s):

Wilhelm Kley

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Gravitational Instability ◽

Planetary Systems ◽

Large Mass ◽

Orbital Evolution ◽

Protoplanetary Disk ◽

Dynamical Structure ◽

High Eccentricity ◽

Exoplanetary Systems ◽

Alternative Processes

AbstractThe formation of planetary systems is a natural byproduct of the star formation process. Planets can form inside the protoplanetary disk by two alternative processes. Either through a sequence of sticking collisions, the so-called sequential accretion scenario, or via gravitational instability from an over-dense clump inside the protoplanetary disk. The first process is believed to have occurred in the solar system. The most important steps in this process will be outlined. The observed orbital properties of exoplanetary systems are distinctly different from our own Solar System. In particular, their small distance from the star, their high eccentricity and large mass point to the existence of a phase with strong mutual excitations. These are believed to be a result of early evolution of planets due to planet-disk interaction. The importance of this process in shaping the dynamical structure of planetary systems will be presented.

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The Dark Red Spot on KBO Haumea

Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s1743921310001730 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (S263) ◽

pp. 192-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pedro Lacerda

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Kuiper Belt ◽

Rotation Period ◽

Kuiper Belt Objects ◽

Kuiper Belt Object ◽

Average Surface ◽

Surface Features ◽

Ice Surface ◽

Rotational Deformation

AbstractKuiper belt object 136108 Haumea is one of the most fascinating bodies in our solar system. Approximately 2000 × 1600 × 1000 km in size, it is one of the largest Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) and an unusually elongated one for its size. The shape of Haumea is the result of rotational deformation due to its extremely short 3.9-hour rotation period. Unlike other 1000 km-scale KBOs which are coated in methane ice the surface of Haumea is covered in almost pure H2O-ice. The bulk density of Haumea, estimated around 2.6 g cm−3, suggests a more rocky interior composition, different from the H2O-ice surface. Recently, Haumea has become the second KBO after Pluto to show observable signs of surface features. A region darker and redder than the average surface of Haumea has been identified, the composition and origin of which remain unknown. I discuss this recent finding and what it may tell us about Haumea.

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Col-OSSOS: Investigating Outlying Surfaces within the Kuiper Belt's Neutral Coloured Objects

10.5194/epsc2021-339 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Laura Buchanan ◽

Megan Schwamb ◽

Wesley Fraser ◽

Michele Bannister ◽

Michaël Marsset ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solar System ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Kuiper Belt ◽

Outer Solar System ◽

Kuiper Belt Object ◽

Broadband Absorption ◽

Colour Measurements ◽

Infrared Spectral ◽

Colour Distribution ◽

Absorption Features

Within the outer Solar System exists the Kuiper belt. This Kuiper belt is made up of many icy planetesimals, the remaining relics of planet-forming bodies that failed to evolve into a planet beyond Neptune. The smaller members of the Kuiper belt (with r mag > 22) generally show linear and featureless spectra. Additionally, due to the dimness of these objects observing their spectra can be particularly difficult. Therefore, broadband photometry is often used to characterise their surfaces. The broadband photometry can be used as a proxy for composition, as it provides enough information to characterise the optical and near-infrared spectral slopes ofthese Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) surfaces. The Colours of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (Col-OSSOS, Schwamb et al., 2019) took near-simultaneous g-, r- and J-band broadband photometry of a sample of KBOs with unprecedented precision using the Gemini North telescope. As with previous colour surveys (e.g. Tegler et al., 2016), they showed abimodal colour distribution in optical / near-infrared colours for the dynamically &#8216;hot&#8217; population. We split this colour distribution into the &#8216;neutral&#8217; coloured population with (g&#8722;r) < 0.75 and the &#8216;red&#8217; coloured populationwith (g&#8722;r) &#8805; 0.75. The preciseness of the colour measurements of Col-OSSOS has allowed the identification of several KBOs with outlying surface colours. These objects separated out from the rest of the neutral cloud in (g&#8722;r) versus (r&#8722;J) colours, with (g&#8722;r) colour near solar colour. Using the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii we have taken extra photometry in the i&#8722; and z&#8722;bands for three of these objects (2013 JE64, 2013 JR65 and 2014 UL225). These additional filter observations will allow us to identify any possible broadband absorption features on these object&#8217;s surfaces that may have caused their outlying surface colours. Asteroid interloper 2004 EW95 (Seccull et al., 2018), along with some Jupiter Trojans and C-type asteroids (Bus & Binzel, 2002; DeMeo & Carry,2013) have been shown to have similar near solar neutral surfaces. In this presentation we will report resultsof the griz photometry of 2013 JE64, 2013 JR65 and 2014 UL225. We will make comparisons between these results and the photometry of previously identified outlying KBOs and comment on any possible similarities. References Bus, S. J., & Binzel, R. P. 2002, Icarus, 158, 146 DeMeo, F. E., & Carry, B. 2013, Icarus, 226, 723 Schwamb, M. E., Bannister, M. T., Marsset, M., et al. 2019, ApJS, 243, 12 Seccull, T., Fraser, W. C., Puzia, T. H., Brown, M. E., & Sch&#246;nebeck, F. 2018, ApJ, Letters, 855, L26 Tegler, S. C., Romanishin, W., Consolmagno, G. J., & J., S. 2016, AJ, 152, 210

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