Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-7qhmt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T20:54:53.628Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Orbital stability of Earth-type planets in stellar binary systems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2010

Jason Eberle
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA email: wjeberle@uta.edu, cuntz@uta.edu, zmusielak@uta.edu
Manfred Cuntz
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA email: wjeberle@uta.edu, cuntz@uta.edu, zmusielak@uta.edu
Zdzislaw E. Musielak
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA email: wjeberle@uta.edu, cuntz@uta.edu, zmusielak@uta.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

An important factor in estimating the likelihood of life elsewhere in the Universe is determining the stability of a planet's orbit. A significant fraction of stars like the Sun occur in binary systems which often has a considerable effect on the stability of any planets in such a system. In an effort to determine the stability of planets in binary star systems, we conducted a numerical simulation survey of several mass ratios and initial conditions. We then estimated the stability of the planetary orbit using a method that utilizes the hodograph to determine the effective eccentricity of the planetary orbit. We found that this method can serve as an orbital stability criterion for the planet.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

References

Cuntz, M., Eberle, J., & Musielak, Z. E. 2007, ApJ (Letters) 669, L105CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eberle, J., Cuntz, M., & Musielak, Z. E. 2008, A&A 489, 1329Google Scholar
Eberle, J. & Cuntz, M. 2010, A&A, submittedGoogle Scholar
Eggenberger, A., Udry, S., & Mayor, M. 2004, A&A 417, 353Google Scholar
Musielak, Z. E., Cuntz, M., Marshall, E. A., & Stuit, T. D. 2005, A&A 434, 355 & Erratum 2008, A&A 480, 573Google Scholar
Patience, J., White, R. J., Ghez, A. M. et al. 2002, ApJ 581, 654CrossRefGoogle Scholar