26 research outputs found
Modeling radial velocities of HD 240210 with the Genetic Algorithm
More than 450 extrasolar planets are known to date. To detect these intriguing objects many photometric and radial velocity surveys are in progress. We developed the Keplerian FITting code, to model published and available radial velocity data. This code is based on a hybrid, quasi-global optimization technique relying on the Genetic Algorithms and simplex algorithm. Here, we re-analyse the radial velocity data of evolved K3III star HD 240210. We found three equally good solutions which might be interpreted as signals of twoplanet systems. Remarkably, one of these best-fits describes long-term stable two-planet system, involved in the 2:1 mean motion resonance. It may be the first instance of this strong mean motion resonance in a multi-planet system hosted by evolved star, as the 2:1 mean motion resonance configurations are already found around a few sun-like dwarfs
The HU Aqr planetary system hypothesis revisited
We study the mid-egress eclipse timing data gathered for the cataclysmic
binary HU Aquarii during the years 1993-2014. The (O-C) residuals were
previously attributed to a single ~7 Jupiter mass companion in ~5 au orbit or
to a stable 2-planet system with an unconstrained outermost orbit. We present
22 new observations gathered between June, 2011 and July, 2014 with four
instruments around the world. They reveal a systematic deviation of ~60 - 120
seconds from the older ephemeris. We re-analyse the whole set of the timing
data available. Our results provide an erratum to the previous HU Aqr planetary
models, indicating that the hypothesis for a third and fourth body in this
system is uncertain. The dynamical stability criterion and a particular
geometry of orbits rule out coplanar 2-planet configurations. A putative HU Aqr
planetary system may be more complex, e.g., highly non-coplanar. Indeed, we
found examples of 3-planet configurations with the middle planet in a
retrograde orbit, which are stable for at least 1Gyr, and consistent with the
observations. The (O-C) may be also driven by oscillations of the gravitational
quadrupole moment of the secondary, as predicted by the Lanza et al.
modification of the Applegate mechanism. Further systematic, long-term
monitoring of HU Aqr is required to interpret the (O-C) residuals.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figures, 4 tables, accepted to Monthly Notices of the
Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS
On the dynamics of Extrasolar Planetary Systems under dissipation. Migration of planets
We study the dynamics of planetary systems with two planets moving in the
same plane, when frictional forces act on the two planets, in addition to the
gravitational forces. The model of the general three-body problem is used.
Different laws of friction are considered. The topology of the phase space is
essential in understanding the evolution of the system. The topology is
determined by the families of stable and unstable periodic orbits, both
symmetric and non symmetric. It is along the stable families, or close to them,
that the planets migrate when dissipative forces act. At the critical points
where the stability along the family changes, there is a bifurcation of a new
family of stable periodic orbits and the migration process changes route and
follows the new stable family up to large eccentricities or to a chaotic
region. We consider both resonant and non resonant planetary systems. The 2/1,
3/1 and 3/2 resonances are studied. The migration to larger or smaller
eccentricities depends on the particular law of friction. Also, in some cases
the semimajor axes increase and in other cases they are stabilized. For
particular laws of friction and for special values of the parameters of the
frictional forces, it is possible to have partially stationary solutions, where
the eccentricities and the semimajor axes are fixed.Comment: Accepted in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronom
Multi-site campaign for transit timing variations of WASP-12 b: possible detection of a long-period signal of planetary origin
The transiting planet WASP-12 b was identified as a potential target for
transit timing studies because a departure from a linear ephemeris was reported
in the literature. Such deviations could be caused by an additional planet in
the system. We attempt to confirm the existence of claimed variations in
transit timing and interpret its origin. We organised a multi-site campaign to
observe transits by WASP-12 b in three observing seasons, using 0.5-2.6-metre
telescopes. We obtained 61 transit light curves, many of them with
sub-millimagnitude precision. The simultaneous analysis of the best-quality
datasets allowed us to obtain refined system parameters, which agree with
values reported in previous studies. The residuals versus a linear ephemeris
reveal a possible periodic signal that may be approximated by a sinusoid with
an amplitude of 0.00068+/-0.00013 d and period of 500+/-20 orbital periods of
WASP-12 b. The joint analysis of timing data and published radial velocity
measurements results in a two-planet model which better explains observations
than single-planet scenarios. We hypothesize that WASP-12 b might be not the
only planet in the system and there might be the additional 0.1 M_Jup body on a
3.6-d eccentric orbit. A dynamical analysis indicates that the proposed
two-planet system is stable over long timescales.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
The Relativistic Factor in the Orbital Dynamics of Point Masses
There is a growing population of relativistically relevant minor bodies in
the Solar System and a growing population of massive extrasolar planets with
orbits very close to the central star where relativistic effects should have
some signature. Our purpose is to review how general relativity affects the
orbital dynamics of the planetary systems and to define a suitable relativistic
correction for Solar System orbital studies when only point masses are
considered. Using relativistic formulae for the N body problem suited for a
planetary system given in the literature we present a series of numerical
orbital integrations designed to test the relevance of the effects due to the
general theory of relativity in the case of our Solar System. Comparison
between different algorithms for accounting for the relativistic corrections
are performed. Relativistic effects generated by the Sun or by the central star
are the most relevant ones and produce evident modifications in the secular
dynamics of the inner Solar System. The Kozai mechanism, for example, is
modified due to the relativistic effects on the argument of the perihelion.
Relativistic effects generated by planets instead are of very low relevance but
detectable in numerical simulations
Planetary nebulae with emission-line central stars
The kinematic structure of a sample of planetary nebulae, consisting of 23
[WR] central stars, 21 weak emission line stars (wels) and 57 non-emission line
central stars, is studied. The [WR] stars are shown to be surrounded by
turbulent nebulae, a characteristic shared by some wels but almost completely
absent from the non-emission line stars. The fraction of objects showing
turbulence for non-emission-line stars, wels and [WR] stars is 7%, 24% and 91%,
respectively. The [WR] stars show a distinct IRAS 12-micron excess, indicative
of small dust grains, which is not found for wels. The [WR]-star nebulae are on
average more centrally condensed than those of other stars. On the
age-temperature diagram, the wels are located on tracks of both high and low
stellar mass, while [WR] stars trace a narrow range of intermediate masses.
Emission-line stars are not found on the cooling track. One group of wels may
form a sequence wels--[WO] stars with increasing temperature. For the other
groups both the wels and the [WR] stars appear to represent several,
independent evolutionary tracks. We find a discontinuity in the [WR] stellar
temperature distribution and suggest different evolutionary sequences above and
below the temperature gap. One group of cool [WR] stars has no counterpart
among any other group of PNe and may represent binary evolution. A prime factor
distinguishing wels and [WR] stars appears to be stellar luminosity. We find no
evidence for an increase of nebular expansion velocity with time.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figures, accepted to A&