Effects of the Planar Galactic Tides and Stellar Mass on Comet Cloud Dynamics

TL;DR

This study investigates how Galactic tides and stellar mass influence the dynamics of comet clouds, revealing that proximity to the Galactic center and star mass significantly affect comet perihelia and potential planetary impacts.

Contribution

It provides the first simulation-based analysis of how Galactic tides and stellar mass alter comet cloud orbits, extending understanding beyond the Solar System context.

Findings

Galactic tides' effects depend on star's distance from the Galactic center.

Smaller stellar mass enhances comet injection into inner planetary regions.

Results are consistent across different Galactic potential models.

Abstract

We report the first results of a research program to explore the sensitivity of the orbits of Oort cloud comets to changes in the strength of the Galactic tides in the plane of the disk and also to changes in the mass of the host star. We performed 2D simulations that confirm that the effects of the tides on comet orbits are sensitive to a star's distance from the Galactic center. A comet cloud closer to the Galactic center than the Sun will have comet perihelia reduced to the region of the inner planets more effectively by the planar tides alone. Similar results are found for a star of smaller mass. We also show how this phenomenon of comet injection persists for a set of alternative Galactic potential models. These preliminary results suggest a fruitful line of research, one that aims to generalize the study of comet cloud dynamics to systems different from the Solar System. In particular, it will allow us to study the roles played by comet clouds in defining the boundaries of the Galactic Habitable Zone.