Origin Scenarios for the Kepler 36 Planetary System

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the Kepler 36 planetary system's unique configuration and density differences could have arisen through migration, stochastic forces, and embryo interactions, highlighting the importance of fine-tuned conditions and collisions.

Contribution

It introduces a new scenario involving embryo interactions and migration dynamics to explain the system's density contrast and orbital arrangement.

Findings

Embryo interactions can nudge planets out of resonances.

Impacts can strip planetary envelopes, leaving dense cores.

System configurations depend on fine-tuned stochastic and migration parameters.

Abstract

We explore scenarios for the origin of two different density planets in the Kepler 36 system in adjacent orbits near the 7:6 mean motion resonance. We find that fine tuning is required in the stochastic forcing amplitude, the migration rate and planet eccentricities to allow two convergently migrating planets to bypass mean motion resonances such as the 4:3, 5:4 and 6:5, and yet allow capture into the 7:6 resonance. Stochastic forcing can eject the system from resonance causing a collision between the planets, unless the disk inducing migration and stochastic forcing is depleted soon after resonance capture. We explore a scenario with approximately Mars mass embryos originating exterior to the two planets and migrating inwards toward two planets. We find that gravitational interactions with embryos can nudge the system out of resonances. Numerical integrations with about a half dozen embryos can leave the two planets in the 7:6 resonance. Collisions between planets and embryos have a wide distribution of impact angles and velocities ranging from accretionary to disruptive. We find that impacts can occur at sufficiently high impact angle and velocity that the envelope of a planet could have been stripped, leaving behind a dense core. Some of our integrations show the two planets exchanging locations, allowing the outer planet that had experienced multiple collisions with embryos to become the innermost planet. A scenario involving gravitational interactions and collisions with embryos may account for both the proximity of the Kepler 36 planets and their large density contrast.