Orbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a disc

We study the dynamics of a planet on an orbit inclined with respect to a disc. If the initial inclination of the orbit is larger than some critical value, the gravitational force exerted by the disc on the planet leads to a Kozai cycle in which the eccentricity of the orbit is pumped up to large val...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Teyssandier, J, Terquem, C, Papaloizou, J
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2012
_version_ 1797097951278923776
author Teyssandier, J
Terquem, C
Papaloizou, J
author_facet Teyssandier, J
Terquem, C
Papaloizou, J
author_sort Teyssandier, J
collection OXFORD
description We study the dynamics of a planet on an orbit inclined with respect to a disc. If the initial inclination of the orbit is larger than some critical value, the gravitational force exerted by the disc on the planet leads to a Kozai cycle in which the eccentricity of the orbit is pumped up to large values and oscillates with time in antiphase with the inclination. On the other hand, both the inclination and the eccentricity are damped by the frictional force that the planet is subject to when it crosses the disc. We show that, by maintaining either the inclination or the eccentricity at large values, the Kozai effect provides a way of delaying alignment with the disc and circularization of the orbit. We find the critical value to be characteristically as small as about 20 degrees. Typically, Neptune or lower mass planets would remain on inclined and eccentric orbits over the disc lifetime, whereas orbits of Jupiter or higher mass planets would align and circularize. This could play a significant role in planet formation scenarios.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T05:02:40Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:d8d5e7f8-e80d-4789-a7f6-35371ffd1582
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T05:02:40Z
publishDate 2012
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:d8d5e7f8-e80d-4789-a7f6-35371ffd15822022-03-27T08:51:37ZOrbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a discJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:d8d5e7f8-e80d-4789-a7f6-35371ffd1582EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2012Teyssandier, JTerquem, CPapaloizou, JWe study the dynamics of a planet on an orbit inclined with respect to a disc. If the initial inclination of the orbit is larger than some critical value, the gravitational force exerted by the disc on the planet leads to a Kozai cycle in which the eccentricity of the orbit is pumped up to large values and oscillates with time in antiphase with the inclination. On the other hand, both the inclination and the eccentricity are damped by the frictional force that the planet is subject to when it crosses the disc. We show that, by maintaining either the inclination or the eccentricity at large values, the Kozai effect provides a way of delaying alignment with the disc and circularization of the orbit. We find the critical value to be characteristically as small as about 20 degrees. Typically, Neptune or lower mass planets would remain on inclined and eccentric orbits over the disc lifetime, whereas orbits of Jupiter or higher mass planets would align and circularize. This could play a significant role in planet formation scenarios.
spellingShingle Teyssandier, J
Terquem, C
Papaloizou, J
Orbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a disc
title Orbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a disc
title_full Orbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a disc
title_fullStr Orbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a disc
title_full_unstemmed Orbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a disc
title_short Orbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a disc
title_sort orbital evolution of a planet on an inclined orbit interacting with a disc
work_keys_str_mv AT teyssandierj orbitalevolutionofaplanetonaninclinedorbitinteractingwithadisc
AT terquemc orbitalevolutionofaplanetonaninclinedorbitinteractingwithadisc
AT papaloizouj orbitalevolutionofaplanetonaninclinedorbitinteractingwithadisc