Related papers: Spontaneous Super-Rotation on Planets
An atmosphere may be described as globally super-rotating if its total zonal angular momentum exceeds that associated with solid-body co-rotation with the underlying planet. In this paper, we discuss the dependence of global super-rotation…
Planets in the habitable zone of lower-mass stars are often assumed to be in a state of tidally synchronized rotation, which would considerably affect their putative habitability. Although thermal tides cause Venus to rotate retrogradely,…
We prove a strong form of spontaneous breaking of rotational symmetry for a simple model of two-dimensional crystals with random defects in thermal equilibrium at low temperature. The defects consist of isolated missing atoms.
The levitation of a cylindrical permanent magnet over a high-temperature superconductor cooled by liquid nitrogen can be accompanied by spontaneous oscillations and rotation. The reason for spontaneous rotation of the magnet is…
Is there oceanic superrotation on exoplanets? Atmospheric superrotation, characterized by west-to-east winds over the equator, is a common phenomenon in the atmospheres of Venus, Titan, Saturn, Jupiter, and tidally locked exoplanets. The…
Observational constraints on planet spin-axis has recently become possible, and revealed a system that favors a large spin-axis misalignment, a low stellar spin-orbit misalignment and a high eccentricity. To explain the origin of such…
Rotation and orbital eccentricity both strongly influence planetary climate. Eccentricities can often be measured for exoplanets, but rotation rates are currently difficult or impossible to constrain. Here we examine how the combined…
Instabilities and strong dynamical interactions between multiple giant planets have been proposed as a possible explanation for the surprising orbital properties of extrasolar planetary systems. In particular, dynamical instabilities seem…
Superrotation is a common feature of quickly rotating gas giants, slowly rotating planetary bodies, and tidally-locked planets. In this paper we compare and contrast the mechanisms of superrotation in slow rotators and tidally-locked…
The spin-rotation of a planet arises from the accretion of angular momentum during its formation, but the details of this process are still unclear. In the solar system, the equatorial rotation velocities and spin angular momentum of the…
We describe an equilibrium state of a rotating trapped atomic condensate, which is characterized by a non-zero internal circulation and spontaneous breaking of the rotational O(2) symmetry with all three major semiaxes of the condensate…
Earth-mass planets are expected to have atmospheres and experience thermal tides raised by the host star. These tides transfer energy to the planet that can counter the dissipation from bodily tides. Indeed, even a relatively thin…
Many Sun-like stars are observed to host close-in super-Earths (SEs) as part of a multi-planetary system. In such a system, the spin of the SE evolves due to spin-orbit resonances and tidal dissipation. In the absence of tides, the planet's…
We show that stability of planetary systems is intimately connected with their internal order. An arbitrary initial distribution of planets is susceptible to catastrophic events in which planets either collide or are ejected from the…
The equilibrium rotation rate of a planet is determined by the sum of torques acting on its solid body. For planets with atmospheres, the dominant torques are usually the gravitational tide, which acts to slow the planet's rotation rate,…
The study of lava planets has attracted significant attention recently because of their close proximity to their host stars, which enhances their detectability for atmospheric characterization. Previous studies showed that the atmospheric…
Planetary rotation rate is a key parameter in determining atmospheric circulation and hence the spatial pattern of clouds. Since clouds can exert a dominant control on planetary radiation balance, rotation rate could be critical for…
Instabilities and strong dynamical interactions between several giant planets have been proposed as a possible explanation for the surprising orbital properties of extrasolar planetary systems. In particular, dynamical instabilities would…
The recent discoveries of terrestrial exoplanets and super-Earths extending over a broad range of orbital and physical parameters suggest that these planets will span a wide range of climatic regimes. Characterization of the atmospheres of…
Planets that revolve around a binary pair of stars are known as circumbinary planets. The orbital motion of the stars around their center of mass causes a periodic variation in the total instellation incident upon a circumbinary planet.…