Faint intermediate luminosity optical transients (ILOTs) from engulfing exoplanets on the Hertzsprung gap

TL;DR

This paper models how engulfing exoplanets during a star's evolution off the main sequence can produce intermediate luminosity optical transients, providing insights into stellar-planet interactions and merger processes.

Contribution

It introduces a model for ILOTs powered by planet engulfment during common envelope evolution, extending understanding of planetary influence on stellar transients.

Findings

A Jupiter-mass planet can produce an ILOT lasting several days with luminosity of thousands of solar luminosities.

Such ILOTs are less luminous than classical novae and involve minimal dust and energy release.

The study links planetary engulfment to observable transient phenomena during stellar evolution.

Abstract

We follow the evolution of four observed exoplanets to the time when the respective parent star of each planet evolves off the main sequence and engulfs its planet to start a common envelope evolution (CEE), concluding that in each case this process powers an intermediate luminosity optical transient (ILOT; luminous red nova). We characterise the final thousands of days of the orbital decay towards a CEE and determine the properties of the star at the onset of the CEE. We scale the properties of the ILOT V1309 Scorpii to the properties of a planet that enters a CEE inside a star on and near the Hertzsprung gap to estimate the duration and luminosity of the expected ILOT. Based on these we estimate that for a planet of Jupiter mass the ILOT will last for several days and reach a luminosity of several thousand solar luminosity. This type of ILOTs are less luminous than classical novae. Because of the small amount of expected dust and the small amount of energy that an accretion process onto the planet can release, such ILOTs can teach us on the merger at the onset of CEE of stellar companions. Our study adds to the variety of ILOTs that planets can power as they interact with a more massive companion.