We explore the possibility that the observed eccentricity distribution of
extrasolar planets arose through planet-planet interactions, after the initial
stage of planet formation was complete. Our results are based on \~3250
numerical integrations of ensembles of randomly constructed planetary systems,
each lasting 100 Myr. We find that for a remarkably wide range of initial
conditions the eccentricity distributions of dynamically active planetary
systems relax towards a common final equilibrium distribution, well described
by the fitting formula dn \~ e exp-1/2 (e/0.3)^2 de. This distribution agrees
well with the observed eccentricity distribution for e > 0.2, but predicts too
few planets at lower eccentricities, even when we exclude planets subject to
tidal circularization. These findings suggest that a period of large-scale
dynamical instability has occurred in a significant fraction of newly formed
planetary systems, lasting 1--2 orders of magnitude longer than the \~1 Myr
interval in which gas-giant planets are assembled. This mechanism predicts no
(or weak) correlations between semimajor axis, eccentricity, inclination, and
mass in dynamically relaxed planetary systems. An additional observational
consequence of dynamical relaxation is a significant population of planets
(>10\%) that are highly inclined (>25deg) with respect to the initial symmetry
plane of the protoplanetary disk; this population may be detectable in
transiting planets through the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Juric2008Dynamical
%A Juric, M.
%A Tremaine, S.
%D 2008
%J The Astrophysical Journal
%K project
%N 1
%P 603--620
%R 10.1086/590047
%T Dynamical Origin of Extrasolar Planet Eccentricity Distribution
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/590047
%V 686
%X We explore the possibility that the observed eccentricity distribution of
extrasolar planets arose through planet-planet interactions, after the initial
stage of planet formation was complete. Our results are based on \~3250
numerical integrations of ensembles of randomly constructed planetary systems,
each lasting 100 Myr. We find that for a remarkably wide range of initial
conditions the eccentricity distributions of dynamically active planetary
systems relax towards a common final equilibrium distribution, well described
by the fitting formula dn \~ e exp-1/2 (e/0.3)^2 de. This distribution agrees
well with the observed eccentricity distribution for e > 0.2, but predicts too
few planets at lower eccentricities, even when we exclude planets subject to
tidal circularization. These findings suggest that a period of large-scale
dynamical instability has occurred in a significant fraction of newly formed
planetary systems, lasting 1--2 orders of magnitude longer than the \~1 Myr
interval in which gas-giant planets are assembled. This mechanism predicts no
(or weak) correlations between semimajor axis, eccentricity, inclination, and
mass in dynamically relaxed planetary systems. An additional observational
consequence of dynamical relaxation is a significant population of planets
(>10\%) that are highly inclined (>25deg) with respect to the initial symmetry
plane of the protoplanetary disk; this population may be detectable in
transiting planets through the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect.
@article{Juric2008Dynamical,
abstract = {{We explore the possibility that the observed eccentricity distribution of
extrasolar planets arose through planet-planet interactions, after the initial
stage of planet formation was complete. Our results are based on \~{}3250
numerical integrations of ensembles of randomly constructed planetary systems,
each lasting 100 Myr. We find that for a remarkably wide range of initial
conditions the eccentricity distributions of dynamically active planetary
systems relax towards a common final equilibrium distribution, well described
by the fitting formula dn \~{} e exp[-1/2 (e/0.3)^2] de. This distribution agrees
well with the observed eccentricity distribution for e \> 0.2, but predicts too
few planets at lower eccentricities, even when we exclude planets subject to
tidal circularization. These findings suggest that a period of large-scale
dynamical instability has occurred in a significant fraction of newly formed
planetary systems, lasting 1--2 orders of magnitude longer than the \~{}1 Myr
interval in which gas-giant planets are assembled. This mechanism predicts no
(or weak) correlations between semimajor axis, eccentricity, inclination, and
mass in dynamically relaxed planetary systems. An additional observational
consequence of dynamical relaxation is a significant population of planets
(\>10\%) that are highly inclined (\>25deg) with respect to the initial symmetry
plane of the protoplanetary disk; this population may be detectable in
transiting planets through the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect.}},
added-at = {2019-02-23T22:09:48.000+0100},
archiveprefix = {arXiv},
author = {Juric, M. and Tremaine, S.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2180daf18b151037953aee41bf1d199dc/cmcneile},
citeulike-article-id = {3431451},
citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0703160},
citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0703160},
citeulike-linkout-2 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/590047},
citeulike-linkout-3 = {http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib\_query?bibcode=2008ApJ...686..603J},
day = 13,
doi = {10.1086/590047},
eprint = {astro-ph/0703160},
interhash = {4bf81517cb93dab3b2014ebba6adc7f8},
intrahash = {180daf18b151037953aee41bf1d199dc},
issn = {0004-637X},
journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
keywords = {project},
month = may,
number = 1,
pages = {603--620},
posted-at = {2014-03-18 11:02:18},
priority = {2},
timestamp = {2019-02-23T22:15:27.000+0100},
title = {{Dynamical Origin of Extrasolar Planet Eccentricity Distribution}},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/590047},
volume = 686,
year = 2008
}