Tilting Planets during Planet Scattering
Abstract
Observational constraints on planetary spin axis have recently become possible, and they have revealed a system that favors large spin-axis misalignment, low stellar spin-orbit misalignment, and high eccentricity. To explain the origin of such systems, we propose a mechanism that could tilt the planetary spin axis during planet-planet scattering, which is a natural outcome of in situ formation and disk migration. Specifically, we show that spin-orbit resonances could occur for a short time period during the scattering processes, and excite the misalignment of a planet's spin axis. This typically leads to planets with large spin misalignment and a wide range of eccentricities and inclinations.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- July 2021
- DOI:
- 10.3847/2041-8213/ac0620
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2103.15843
- Bibcode:
- 2021ApJ...915L...2L
- Keywords:
-
- Exoplanet formation;
- Exoplanet astronomy;
- Exoplanet dynamics;
- 492;
- 486;
- 490;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 6 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJL