An Analytic Theory for the Orbits of Circumbinary Planets

TL;DR

This paper develops an analytic model for the complex orbits of circumbinary planets, accurately matching numerical simulations and revealing that these planets have nonzero free eccentricities.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new analytic theory treating the planet as a test particle, capturing non-Keplerian orbital features of circumbinary planets.

Findings

Analytic theory accurately describes Kepler circumbinary planet orbits.

All three studied planets have nonzero free eccentricities.

The model explains precession and forced oscillations in the orbits.

Abstract

Three transiting circumbinary planets (Kepler-16 b, Kepler-34 b, and Kepler-35 b) have recently been discovered from photometric data taken by the Kepler spacecraft. Their orbits are significantly non-Keplerian because of the large secondary-to-primary mass ratio and orbital eccentricity of the binaries, as well as the proximity of the planets to the binaries. We present an analytic theory, with the planet treated as a test particle, which shows that the planetary motion can be represented by the superposition of the circular motion of a guiding center, the forced oscillations due to the non-axisymmetric components of the binary's potential, the epicyclic motion, and the vertical motion. In this analytic theory, the periapse and ascending node of the planet precess at nearly equal rates in opposite directions. The largest forced oscillation term corresponds to a forced eccentricity (which is an explicit function of the parameters of the binary and of the guiding center radius of the planet), and the amplitude of the epicyclic motion (which is a free parameter of the theory) is the free eccentricity. Comparisons with direct numerical orbit integrations show that this analytic theory gives an accurate description of the planetary motion for all three Kepler systems. We find that all three Kepler circumbinary planets have nonzero free eccentricities.