Trading Spaces: How Swapping Stars Create Hot Jupiters - by PaulMattSutter
than average. They are so close that stars are bound to interact with their neighbors in some capacity. In some cases they can even capture one of their neighbors into an orbit. So even though the stars formed initially as solitary objects, they can become binary systems.
The astronomers found that if this capture happens in early enough times during the planet formation process, it can lead to a hot Jupiter. If a Jupiter-size planet is forming around a star, and that star captures a neighbor, the gravitational influence of that neighbor can start to stretch the orbit of the planet.
As the orbit of the planet stretches it becomes more and more elliptical. The furthest point of the orbit gets more distant from the star, while the nearest point gets closer. Eventually if the planet swings too close to the star it can get captured in a brand new orbit, and the normal giant planet now becomes a hot Jupiter.
The astronomers found that this happens to about 2% of the stars in a cluster. However to create a hot Jupiter you need a special set of circumstances, as the orbit has to get close…but not too close. About 4% of the time the astronomers found that the gravitational disruptions simply send the planet flying right into the face of its star, obliterating it .
Overall the astronomers found that if giant planets form around 10% of the stars, then in about a billion years there will be enough interactions in a star cluster to trigger the migration that turns a giant planet into a hot Jupiter. Since these interactions rarely happen outside of star clusters, this can largely explain why hot Jupiters are more common inside them.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Portable Wind Turbines Could Soon Light Up Our City SpacesThe Powerpod is said to be cheaper than solar panels and efficient in places that get less than 300 days of sun a year.
Read more »
LGBTQ+ safe spaces maintain vigilance in wake of attacks nationallyNational acts of violence or hatred encourage a sense of vigilance for both security at LGBTQ+ businesses and members of the community.
Read more »
Co-working spaces limit creativity in the long run, finds new studyCo-working spaces can limit the creativity and innovation of new businesses, a study has found.
Read more »
Luxury courts Miami Design District as mixed-use retail spaces see spending boomMiami's Design District is on its way to becoming one of the most sought-after retail enclaves worldwide, competing with traditional boulevards in New York, Paris, London and Los Angeles as the place to be for luxury brands.
Read more »
Local health authorities recommend wearing masks in indoor public spacesBREAKING: Health authorities in King and Pierce counties are recommending that people wear masks in indoor public spaces as viral respiratory illnesses are circulating across the state and country.
Read more »
Coinbase CEO says trading revenue has fallen to ‘roughly half’ what it was last yearBetween the depegging of TerraUSD and bankruptcies of Celsius and FTX, 2022 has been a tough year for crypto exchanges. Coinbase now says that its revenue has fallen by more than 50% over last year’s.
Read more »