Astronomers may have unraveled the intriguing origins of the universe's most peculiar planets, known as "double hot Jupiters." The research team believes their findings could lead to the discovery of more of these elusive planets.
Hot Jupiters are massive, blazing-hot gas giants, similar in size to Jupiter or larger, that orbit extremely close to their host stars, completing a year in less than an Earth day. While hot Jupiters are uncommon, found around only 1% of stars, double hot Jupiters are even rarer. These pairs of exoplanets exist in binary star systems, with one planet orbiting each of the twin stars.
This unusual setup has puzzled scientists, as it seems to defy conventional planet formation theories. However, the astronomers behind this study propose that the natural, long-term evolution of binary star systems can organically result in the formation of a hot Jupiter around each star, offering a potential solution to this cosmic mystery.
Astronomers may have cracked the mystery behind the formation of the universe's enigmatic "double hot Jupiters." Their findings could pave the way for discovering more of these rare exoplanets.
Hot Jupiters are massive gas giants, at least as large as Jupiter, with scorching temperatures due to their tight orbits around their host stars, where a year can pass in less than an Earth day. While hot Jupiters orbit only about 1% of stars, double hot Jupiters—pairs of these planets, each orbiting one star in a binary star system—are even scarcer. This peculiar arrangement has long challenged existing theories of how planets form.
The research team suggests that a process called von Zeipel-Lidov-Kozai (ZLK) migration holds the key. This mechanism describes how, over long periods, a planet with an unusual orbit or tilt can be gravitationally nudged by another object, such as the second star in a binary system, causing it to spiral closer to its parent star and transform into a hot Jupiter.
"It's like a cosmic dance," said Malena Rice, the study's lead and an astronomer at Yale University. "In binary systems, the companion star can sculpt the orbits of planets, pulling them inward. Our work demonstrates how this process can happen symmetrically, resulting in both stars hosting their own hot Jupiters."
This discovery sheds light on the strange dynamics of double hot Jupiters and offers a new lens for understanding planet formation in complex stellar systems. Read more>>
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