English

Spin-Orbit Misalignment of Two-Planet-System KOI-89 Via Gravity Darkening

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 2015-11-04 v2 Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

Abstract

We constrain the true spin-orbit alignment of the KOI-89 system by numerically fitting the two \emph{Kepler} photometric lightcurves produced by transiting planets KOI-89.01 and KOI-89.02. The two planets have periods of 84.69 days and 207.58 days, respectively. We find that the two bodies are low-density giant planets with radii 0.45±0.03 Rjup0.45 \pm 0.03~\mathrm{R_{jup}} and 0.43±0.05 Rjup0.43 \pm 0.05~\mathrm{R_{jup}} and spin-orbit misalignments 72±372^{\circ} \pm 3^\circ and 735+1173^{\circ+11}_{-5}, respectively. Via dynamic stability tests we demonstrate the general trend of higher system stability with the two planets close to mutual alignment and estimate their coalignment angle to 20±2020^\circ \pm 20^\circ -- i.e. the planets are misaligned with the star but may be aligned with each other. From these results, we limit KOI-89's misalignment mechanisms to star-disk-binary interactions, disk warping via planet-disk interactions, planet-planet scattering, Kozai resonance, or internal gravity waves.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1509.07930,
  title  = {Spin-Orbit Misalignment of Two-Planet-System KOI-89 Via Gravity Darkening},
  author = {John P. Ahlers and Jason W. Barnes and Rory Barnes},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1509.07930},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

9 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, accepted in The Astrophysical Journal