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At least 649 records · Page 36
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DOE OSTI2013

ANALYSIS OF THE MOTION OF AN EXTRASOLAR PLANET IN A BINARY SYSTEM

More than 10% of extra-solar planets (EPs) orbit in a binary or multiple stellar system. We investigated the motion of planets revolving in binary systems in the case of the three-body problem. We carried out an analysis of the motion of an EP revolving in a binary system with the following conditions: (1) a planet in a binary system revolves around one of the components (parent star); (2) the distance between the star's components is greater than that between the parent star and the orbiting planet (ratio of the semi-major axes is a small parameter); and (3) the mass of the planet is smaller than the mass of the stars, but is not negligible. The Hamiltonian of the system without short periodic terms was used. We expanded the Hamiltonian in terms of the Legendre polynomial and truncated after the second-order term, depending on only one angular variable. In this case, the solution of the system was obtained and the qualitative analysis of the motion was produced. We have applied this theory to real EPs and compared to the numerical integration. Analyses of the possible regions of motion are presented. It is shown that stable and unstable motions of EPs are possible. We applied our calculations to two binary systems hosting an EP and calculated the possible values for their unknown orbital elements.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The solar neighborhood. XXXIV. A search for planets orbiting nearby M dwarfs using astrometry

Astrometric measurements are presented for seven nearby stars with previously detected planets: six M dwarfs (GJ 317, GJ 667C, GJ 581, GJ 849, GJ 876, and GJ 1214) and one K dwarf (BD-10 -3166). Measurements are also presented for six additional nearby M dwarfs without known planets, but which are more favorable to astrometric detections of low mass companions, as well as three binary systems for which we provide astrometric orbit solutions. Observations have baselines of 3 to 13 years, and were made as part of the RECONS long-term astrometry and photometry program at the CTIO/SMARTS 0.9 m telescope. We provide trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions for all 16 systems, and perform an extensive analysis of the astrometric residuals to determine the minimum detectable companion mass for the 12 M dwarfs not having close stellar secondaries. For the six M dwarfs with known planets, we are not sensitive to planets, but can rule out the presence of all but the least massive brown dwarfs at periods of 2–12 years. For the six more astrometrically favorable M dwarfs, we conclude that none have brown dwarf companions, and are sensitive to companions with masses as low as 1 M{sub Jup} for periods longer than two years. In particular, we conclude that Proxima Centauri has no Jovian companions at orbital periods of 2–12 years. These results complement previously published M dwarf planet occurrence rates by providing astrometrically determined upper mass limits on potential super-Jupiter companions at orbits of two years and longer. As part of a continuing survey, these results are consistent with the paucity of super-Jupiter and brown dwarf companions we find among the over 250 red dwarfs within 25 pc observed longer than five years in our astrometric program.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Challenges in forming the solar system's giant planet cores via pebble accretion

Though ∼10 M {sub ⊕} mass rocky/icy cores are commonly held as a prerequisite for the formation of gas giants, theoretical models still struggle to explain how these embryos can form within the lifetimes of gaseous circumstellar disks. In recent years, aerodynamic-aided accretion of 'pebbles', objects ranging from centimeters to meters in size, has been suggested as a potential solution to this long-standing problem. While pebble accretion has been demonstrated to be extremely effective in local simulations that look at the detailed behavior of these pebbles in the vicinity of a single planetary embryo, to date there have been no global simulations demonstrating the effectiveness of pebble accretion in a more complicated, multi-planet environment. Therefore, we have incorporated the aerodynamic-aided accretion physics into LIPAD, a Lagrangian code that can follow the collisional/accretional/dynamical evolution of a protoplanetary system, to investigate how pebble accretion manifests itself in the larger planet formation picture. We find that under generic circumstances, pebble accretion naturally leads to an 'oligarchic' type of growth in which a large number of planetesimals grow to similar-sized planets. In particular, our simulations tend to form hundreds of Mars- and Earth-mass objects between 4 and 10 AU. While merging of some oligarchs may grow massive enough to form giant planet cores, leftover oligarchs lead to planetary systems that cannot be consistent with our own solar system. We investigate various ideas presented in the literature (including evaporation fronts and planet traps) and find that none easily overcome this tendency toward oligarchic growth.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

55 CANCRI: STELLAR ASTROPHYSICAL PARAMETERS, A PLANET IN THE HABITABLE ZONE, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE RADIUS OF A TRANSITING SUPER-EARTH

The bright star 55 Cancri is known to host five planets, including a transiting super-Earth. The study presented here yields directly determined values for 55 Cnc's stellar astrophysical parameters based on improved interferometry: R = 0.943 {+-} 0.010 R{sub sun}, T{sub EFF} = 5196 {+-} 24 K. We use isochrone fitting to determine 55 Cnc's age to be 10.2 {+-} 2.5 Gyr, implying a stellar mass of 0.905 {+-} 0.015 M{sub sun}. Our analysis of the location and extent of the system's habitable zone (HZ; 0.67-1.32 AU) shows that planet f, with period {approx}260 days and Msin i = 0.155 M{sub Jupiter}, spends the majority of the duration of its elliptical orbit in the circumstellar HZ. Though planet f is too massive to harbor liquid water on any planetary surface, we elaborate on the potential of alternative low-mass objects in planet f's vicinity: a large moon and a low-mass planet on a dynamically stable orbit within the HZ. Finally, our direct value for 55 Cancri's stellar radius allows for a model-independent calculation of the physical diameter of the transiting super-Earth 55 Cnc e ({approx}2.05 {+-} 0.15 R{sub +}), which, depending on the planetary mass assumed, implies a bulk density of 0.76 {rho}{sub +} or 1.07 {rho}{sub +}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

DENSITY WAVES EXCITED BY LOW-MASS PLANETS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. I. LINEAR REGIME

Density waves excited by planets embedded in protoplanetary disks play a central role in planetary migration and gap opening processes. We carry out two-dimensional shearing sheet simulations to study the linear regime of wave evolution with the grid-based code Athena and provide detailed comparisons with theoretical predictions. Low-mass planets (down to {approx}0.03 M{sub Circled-Plus} at 1 AU) and high spatial resolution (256 grid points per scale height) are chosen to mitigate the effects of wave nonlinearity. To complement the existing numerical studies, we focus on the primary physical variables such as the spatial profile of the wave, torque density, and the angular momentum flux carried by the wave, instead of secondary quantities such as the planetary migration rate. Our results show percent level agreement with theory in both physical and Fourier spaces. New phenomena such as the change of the toque density sign far from the planet are discovered and discussed. Also, we explore the effect of the numerical algorithms and find that a high order of accuracy, high resolution, and an accurate planetary potential are crucial to achieve good agreement with the theory. We find that the use of a too large time step without properly resolving the dynamical timescale around the planet produces incorrect results and may lead to spurious gap opening. Global simulations of planet migration and gap opening violating this requirement may be affected by spurious effects resulting in, e.g., the incorrect planetary migration rate and gap opening mass.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

CHARACTERIZING THE ATMOSPHERES OF TRANSITING PLANETS WITH A DEDICATED SPACE TELESCOPE

Exoplanetary science is one of the fastest evolving fields of today's astronomical research, continuously yielding unexpected and surprising results. Ground-based planet-hunting surveys, together with dedicated space missions such as Kepler and CoRoT, are delivering an ever-increasing number of exoplanets, over 690, and ESA's Gaia mission will escalate the exoplanetary census into the several thousands. The next logical step is the characterization of these new worlds. What is their nature? Why are they as they are? Use of the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Space Telescope to probe the atmospheres of transiting hot, gaseous exoplanets has opened perspectives unimaginable even just 10 years ago, demonstrating that it is indeed possible with current technology to address the ambitious goal of characterizing the atmospheres of these alien worlds. However, these successful measurements have also shown the difficulty of understanding the physics and chemistry of these exotic environments when having to rely on a limited number of observations performed on a handful of objects. To progress substantially in this field, a dedicated facility for exoplanet characterization, able to observe a statistically significant number of planets over time and a broad spectral range will be essential. Additionally, the instrument design (e.g., detector performances, photometric stability) will be tailored to optimize the extraction of the astrophysical signal. In this paper, we analyze the performance and tradeoffs of a 1.2/1.4 m space telescope for exoplanet transit spectroscopy from the visible to the mid-IR. We present the signal-to-noise ratio as a function of integration time and stellar magnitude/spectral type for the acquisition of spectra of planetary atmospheres for a variety of scenarios: hot, warm, and temperate planets orbiting stars ranging in spectral type from hot F- to cooler M-dwarfs. Our results include key examples of known planets (e.g., HD 189733b, GJ 436b, GJ 1214b, and Cancri 55 e) and simulations of plausible terrestrial and gaseous planets, with a variety of thermodynamical conditions. We conclude that even most challenging targets, such as super-Earths in the habitable zone of late-type stars, are within reach of an M-class, space-based spectroscopy mission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

INFRARED NON-DETECTION OF FOMALHAUT b: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PLANET INTERPRETATION

The nearby A4-type star Fomalhaut hosts a debris belt in the form of an eccentric ring, which is thought to be caused by dynamical influence from a giant planet companion. In 2008, a detection of a point source inside the inner edge of the ring was reported and was interpreted as a direct image of the planet, named Fomalhaut b. The detection was made at {approx}600-800 nm, but no corresponding signatures were found in the near-infrared range, where the bulk emission of such a planet should be expected. Here, we present deep observations of Fomalhaut with Spitzer/IRAC at 4.5 {mu}m, using a novel point-spread function subtraction technique based on angular differential imaging and Locally Optimized Combination of Images, in order to substantially improve the Spitzer contrast at small separations. The results provide more than an order of magnitude improvement in the upper flux limit of Fomalhaut b and exclude the possibility that any flux from a giant planet surface contributes to the observed flux at visible wavelengths. This renders any direct connection between the observed light source and the dynamically inferred giant planet highly unlikely. We discuss several possible interpretations of the total body of observations of the Fomalhaut system and find that the interpretation that best matches the available data for the observed source is scattered light from a transient or semi-transient dust cloud.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

ON THE VARIATION OF ZONAL GRAVITY COEFFICIENTS OF A GIANT PLANET CAUSED BY ITS DEEP ZONAL FLOWS

Rapidly rotating giant planets are usually marked by the existence of strong zonal flows at the cloud level. If the zonal flow is sufficiently deep and strong, it can produce hydrostatic-related gravitational anomalies through distortion of the planet's shape. This paper determines the zonal gravity coefficients, J{sub 2n}, n = 1, 2, 3, ..., via an analytical method taking into account rotation-induced shape changes by assuming that a planet has an effective uniform density and that the zonal flows arise from deep convection and extend along cylinders parallel to the rotation axis. Two different but related hydrostatic models are considered. When a giant planet is in rigid-body rotation, the exact solution of the problem using oblate spheroidal coordinates is derived, allowing us to compute the value of its zonal gravity coefficients J-bar{sub 2n}, n=1,2,3,..., without making any approximation. When the deep zonal flow is sufficiently strong, we develop a general perturbation theory for estimating the variation of the zonal gravity coefficients, {Delta}J{sub 2n}=J{sub 2n}-J-bar{sub 2n}, n=1,2,3,..., caused by the effect of the deep zonal flows for an arbitrarily rapidly rotating planet. Applying the general theory to Jupiter, we find that the deep zonal flow could contribute up to 0.3% of the J{sub 2} coefficient and 0.7% of J{sub 4}. It is also found that the shape-driven harmonics at the 10th zonal gravity coefficient become dominant, i.e., {Delta}J{sub 2n}>=J-bar{sub 2n} for n {>=} 5.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

MIGRATION THEN ASSEMBLY: FORMATION OF NEPTUNE-MASS PLANETS INSIDE 1 AU

We demonstrate that the observed distribution of 'hot Neptune'/'super-Earth' systems is well reproduced by a model in which planet assembly occurs in situ, with no significant migration post-assembly. This is achieved only if the amount of mass in rocky material is {approx}50-100 M{sub Circled-Plus} interior to 1 AU. Such a reservoir of material implies that significant radial migration of solid material takes place, and that it occurs before the stage of final planet assembly. The model not only reproduces the general distribution of mass versus period but also the detailed statistics of multiple planet systems in the sample. We furthermore demonstrate that cores of this size are also likely to meet the criterion to gravitationally capture gas from the nebula, although accretion is rapidly limited by the opening of gaps in the gas disk. If the mass growth is limited by this tidal truncation, then the scenario sketched here naturally produces Neptune-mass objects with substantial components of both rock and gas, as is observed. The quantitative expectations of this scenario are that most planets in the 'hot Neptune/super-Earth' class inhabit multiple-planet systems, with characteristic orbital spacings. The model also provides a natural division into gas-rich (hot Neptune) and gas-poor (super-Earth) classes at fixed period. The dividing mass ranges from {approx}3 M{sub Circled-Plus} at 10 day orbital periods to {approx}10 M{sub Circled-Plus} at 100 day orbital periods. For orbital periods <10 days, the division is less clear because a gas atmosphere may be significantly eroded by stellar radiation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

3.6 AND 4.5 {mu}m PHASE CURVES AND EVIDENCE FOR NON-EQUILIBRIUM CHEMISTRY IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF EXTRASOLAR PLANET HD 189733b

We present new, full-orbit observations of the infrared phase variations of the canonical hot Jupiter HD 189733b obtained in the 3.6 and 4.5 {mu}m bands using the Spitzer Space Telescope. When combined with previous phase curve observations at 8.0 and 24 {mu}m, these data allow us to characterize the exoplanet's emission spectrum as a function of planetary longitude and to search for local variations in its vertical thermal profile and atmospheric composition. We utilize an improved method for removing the effects of intrapixel sensitivity variations and robustly extracting phase curve signals from these data, and we calculate our best-fit parameters and uncertainties using a wavelet-based Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis that accounts for the presence of time-correlated noise in our data. We measure a phase curve amplitude of 0.1242% {+-} 0.0061% in the 3.6 {mu}m band and 0.0982% {+-} 0.0089% in the 4.5 {mu}m band, corresponding to brightness temperature contrasts of 503 {+-} 21 K and 264 {+-} 24 K, respectively. We find that the times of minimum and maximum flux occur several hours earlier than predicted for an atmosphere in radiative equilibrium, consistent with the eastward advection of gas by an equatorial super-rotating jet. The locations of the flux minima in our new data differ from our previous observations at 8 {mu}m, and we present new evidence indicating that the flux minimum observed in the 8 {mu}m is likely caused by an overshooting effect in the 8 {mu}m array. We obtain improved estimates for HD 189733b's dayside planet-star flux ratio of 0.1466% {+-} 0.0040% in the 3.6 {mu}m band and 0.1787% {+-} 0.0038% in the 4.5 {mu}m band, corresponding to brightness temperatures of 1328 {+-} 11 K and 1192 {+-} 9 K, respectively; these are the most accurate secondary eclipse depths obtained to date for an extrasolar planet. We compare our new dayside and nightside spectra for HD 189733b to the predictions of one-dimensional radiative transfer models from Burrows et al. and conclude that fits to this planet's dayside spectrum provide a reasonably accurate estimate of the amount of energy transported to the night side. Our 3.6 and 4.5 {mu}m phase curves are generally in good agreement with the predictions of general circulation models for this planet from Showman et al., although we require either excess drag or slower rotation rates in order to match the locations of the measured maxima and minima in the 4.5, 8.0, and 24 {mu}m bands. We find that HD 189733b's 4.5 {mu}m nightside flux is 3.3{sigma} smaller than predicted by these models, which assume that the chemistry is in local thermal equilibrium. We conclude that this discrepancy is best explained by vertical mixing, which should lead to an excess of CO and correspondingly enhanced 4.5 {mu}m absorption in this region. This result is consistent with our constraints on the planet's transmission spectrum, which also suggest excess absorption in the 4.5 {mu}m band at the day-night terminator.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A SECOND GIANT PLANET IN 3:2 MEAN-MOTION RESONANCE IN THE HD 204313 SYSTEM

We present eight years of high-precision radial velocity (RV) data for HD 204313 from the 2.7 m Harlan J. Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. The star is known to have a giant planet (Msin i = 3.5 M{sub J} ) on a {approx}1900 day orbit, and a Neptune-mass planet at 0.2 AU. Using our own data in combination with the published CORALIE RVs of Segransan et al., we discover an outer Jovian (Msin i = 1.6 M{sub J} ) planet with P {approx} 2800 days. Our orbital fit suggests that the planets are in a 3:2 mean motion resonance, which would potentially affect their stability. We perform a detailed stability analysis and verify that the planets must be in resonance.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

ON THE DETECTABILITY OF STAR-PLANET INTERACTION

Magnetic (or tidal) interactions between 'hot Jupiters' and their host stars can potentially enhance chromospheric and coronal activity. An ideal test bed for investigating this effect is provided by the extreme WASP-18 system, which features a massive ({approx}10 times Jupiter) close-in ({approx}<1 day period) transiting planet orbiting a young F6 star. Optical and X-ray observations of WASP-18 were conducted in 2011 November. The high-resolution echelle spectrograph Magellan Inamori Kyocera Echelle was used on the 6.5 m Magellan Clay Telescope to obtain 13 spectra spanning planetary orbital phases of 0.7-1.4, while the X-ray Telescope on Swift provided contemporaneous monitoring with a stacked exposure of {approx}50 ks. The cores of the Ca II H and K lines do not show significant variability over multiple orbits spanning {approx}8 days, in contrast to the expectation of phase-dependent chromospheric activity enhancements for efficient star-planet interaction. The star is also X-ray faint, with log L{sub X} < 27.6, indicating that coronal activity is likewise low. The lack of detectable star-planet interaction in this extreme system requires that any such effect here must be transient, if indeed present. We demonstrate that searches for Ca II H and K variability can potentially mistake a stellar hotspot, if observed over a short segment of the rotation period, for planet-induced activity. Taken together, these results suggest that the utility of star-planet interaction as a robust method of estimating exoplanet magnetic field strengths may be limited.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

THERMAL PHASES OF EARTH-LIKE PLANETS: ESTIMATING THERMAL INERTIA FROM ECCENTRICITY, OBLIQUITY, AND DIURNAL FORCING

In order to understand the climate on terrestrial planets orbiting nearby Sun-like stars, one would like to know their thermal inertia. We use a global climate model to simulate the thermal phase variations of Earth analogs and test whether these data could distinguish between planets with different heat storage and heat transport characteristics. In particular, we consider a temperate climate with polar ice caps (like the modern Earth) and a snowball state where the oceans are globally covered in ice. We first quantitatively study the periodic radiative forcing from, and climatic response to, rotation, obliquity, and eccentricity. Orbital eccentricity and seasonal changes in albedo cause variations in the global-mean absorbed flux. The responses of the two climates to these global seasons indicate that the temperate planet has 3 Multiplication-Sign the bulk heat capacity of the snowball planet due to the presence of liquid water oceans. The obliquity seasons in the temperate simulation are weaker than one would expect based on thermal inertia alone; this is due to cross-equatorial oceanic and atmospheric energy transport. Thermal inertia and cross-equatorial heat transport have qualitatively different effects on obliquity seasons, insofar as heat transport tends to reduce seasonal amplitude without inducing a phase lag. For an Earth-like planet, however, this effect is masked by the mixing of signals from low thermal inertia regions (sea ice and land) with that from high thermal inertia regions (oceans), which also produces a damped response with small phase lag. We then simulate thermal light curves as they would appear to a high-contrast imaging mission (TPF-I/Darwin). In order of importance to the present simulations, which use modern-Earth orbital parameters, the three drivers of thermal phase variations are (1) obliquity seasons, (2) diurnal cycle, and (3) global seasons. Obliquity seasons are the dominant source of phase variations for most viewing angles. A pole-on observer would measure peak-to-trough amplitudes of 13% and 47% for the temperate and snowball climates, respectively. Diurnal heating is important for equatorial observers ({approx}5% phase variations), because the obliquity effects cancel to first order from that vantage. Finally, we compare the prospects of optical versus thermal direct imaging missions for constraining the climate on exoplanets and conclude that while zero- and one-dimensional models are best served by thermal measurements, second-order models accounting for seasons and planetary thermal inertia would require both optical and thermal observations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

MIGRATION RATES OF PLANETS DUE TO SCATTERING OF PLANETESIMALS

Planets migrate due to the recoil they experience from scattering solid (planetesimal) bodies. To first order, the torques exerted by the interior and exterior disks will cancel, analogous to the cancellation of the torques from the gravitational interaction with the gas (Type-I migration). Assuming the dispersion-dominated regime and power laws characterized by indices {alpha} and {beta} for the surface density and eccentricity profiles, we calculate the net torque on the planet. We consider both distant encounters and close (orbit-crossing) encounters. We find that the close and distant encounter torques have opposite signs with respect to {alpha} and {beta}; and that the torque is especially sensitive to the eccentricity gradient {beta}. Compared to Type-I migration due to excitation of density waves, the planetesimal-driven migration rate is generally lower due to the lower surface density of solids in gas-rich disk, although this may be partially or fully offset when their eccentricity and inclinaton are small. Allowing for the feedback of the planet on the planetesimal disk through viscous stirring, we find that under certain conditions a self-regulated migration scenario emerges, in which the planet migrates at a steady pace that approaches the rate corresponding to the one-sided torque. If the ratio of the local disk mass in planetesimals to planet mass is low, however, migration will stall. We quantify the boundaries separating the three accretion regimes.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

ON THE SECULAR BEHAVIOR OF DUST PARTICLES IN AN ECCENTRIC PROTOPLANETARY DISK WITH AN EMBEDDED MASSIVE GAS GIANT PLANET

We investigate the dust velocity and spatial distribution in an eccentric protoplanetary disk under the secular gravitational perturbation of an embedded planet of about 5 Jupiter masses. We first employ the FARGO code to obtain the two-dimensional density and velocity profiles of the eccentric gas disk exterior to the gap opened up by the embedded planet in the quasi-steady state. We then apply the secular perturbation theory and incorporate the gas drag to estimate the dust velocity and density on a secular timescale. The dust-to-gas ratio of the unperturbed disk is simply assumed to be 0.01. In our fiducial disk model with the planet at 5 AU, we find that 0.01 cm to 1 m sized dust particles are well coupled to the gas. Consequently, the particles behave similarly to the gas and exhibit asymmetric dynamics as a result of eccentric orbits. The dust surface density is enhanced around the apocenter of the disk. However, for the case of a low-density gaseous disk (called the 'transition disk' henceforth in this work) harboring the planet at 100 AU, the azimuthal distributions of dust of various sizes can deviate significantly. Overall, the asymmetric structure exhibits a phase correlation between the gas velocity fields and dust density distribution. Therefore, our study potentially provides a reality check as to whether an asymmetric disk gap detected at submillimeter and centimeter wavelengths is a signpost of a massive gas giant planet.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE HABITABLE ZONE OF EARTH-LIKE PLANETS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE

As a contribution to the study of the habitability of extrasolar planets, we implemented a one-dimensional energy balance model (EBM), the simplest seasonal model of planetary climate, with new prescriptions for most physical quantities. Here we apply our EBM to investigate the surface habitability of planets with an Earth-like atmospheric composition but different levels of surface pressure. The habitability, defined as the mean fraction of the planet's surface on which liquid water could exist, is estimated from the pressure-dependent liquid water temperature range, taking into account seasonal and latitudinal variations of surface temperature. By running several thousands of EBM simulations we generated a map of the habitable zone (HZ) in the plane of the orbital semi-major axis, a, and surface pressure, p, for planets in circular orbits around a Sun-like star. As pressure increases, the HZ becomes broader, with an increase of 0.25 AU in its radial extent from p = 1/3 to 3 bar. At low pressure, the habitability is low and varies with a; at high pressure, the habitability is high and relatively constant inside the HZ. We interpret these results in terms of the pressure dependence of the greenhouse effect, the efficiency of horizontal heat transport, and the extent of the liquid water temperature range. Within the limits discussed in the paper, the results can be extended to planets in eccentric orbits around non-solar-type stars. The main characteristics of the pressure-dependent HZ are modestly affected by variations of planetary properties, particularly at high pressure.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2013

A SUPER-EARTH-SIZED PLANET ORBITING IN OR NEAR THE HABITABLE ZONE AROUND A SUN-LIKE STAR

We present the discovery of a super-Earth-sized planet in or near the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. The host is Kepler-69, a 13.7 mag G4V-type star. We detect two periodic sets of transit signals in the 3-year flux time series of Kepler-69, obtained with the Kepler spacecraft. Using the very high precision Kepler photometry, and follow-up observations, our confidence that these signals represent planetary transits is >99.3%. The inner planet, Kepler-69b, has a radius of 2.24{sup +0.44}{sub -0.29} R{sub Circled-Plus} and orbits the host star every 13.7 days. The outer planet, Kepler-69c, is a super-Earth-sized object with a radius of 1.7{sup +0.34}{sub -0.23} R{sub Circled-Plus} and an orbital period of 242.5 days. Assuming an Earth-like Bond albedo, Kepler-69c has an equilibrium temperature of 299 {+-} 19 K, which places the planet close to the habitable zone around the host star. This is the smallest planet found by Kepler to be orbiting in or near the habitable zone of a Sun-like star and represents an important step on the path to finding the first true Earth analog.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

PHOTOPHORETIC SEPARATION OF METALS AND SILICATES: THE FORMATION OF MERCURY-LIKE PLANETS AND METAL DEPLETION IN CHONDRITES

Mercury's high uncompressed mass density suggests that the planet is largely composed of iron, either bound within metal (mainly Fe-Ni) or iron sulfide. Recent results from the MESSENGER mission to Mercury imply a low temperature history of the planet which questions the standard formation models of impact mantle stripping or evaporation to explain the high metal content. Like Mercury, the two smallest extrasolar rocky planets with mass and size determination, CoRoT-7b and Kepler-10b, were found to be of high density. As they orbit close to their host stars, this indicates that iron-rich inner planets might not be a nuisance of the solar system but be part of a general scheme of planet formation. From undifferentiated chondrites, it is also known that the metal to silicate ratio is highly variable, which must be ascribed to preplanetary fractionation processes. Due to this fractionation, most chondritic parent bodies-most of them originated in the asteroid belt-are depleted in iron relative to average solar system abundances. The astrophysical processes leading to metal silicate fractionation in the solar nebula are essentially unknown. Here, we consider photophoretic forces. As these forces particularly act on irradiated solids, they might play a significant role in the composition of planetesimals forming at the inner edge of protoplanetary disks. Photophoresis can separate high thermal conductivity materials (iron) from lower thermal conductivity solids (silicate). We suggest that the silicates are preferentially pushed into the optically thick disk. Subsequent planetesimal formation at the edge moving outward leads to metal-rich planetesimals close to the star and metal depleted planetesimals farther out in the nebula.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗