Resonant chains in triple-planetary systems

TL;DR

This paper investigates the dynamics, stability, and formation of resonant chains in triple-planet systems, providing a comprehensive framework for analyzing their Hamiltonian structure and evolution.

Contribution

It introduces a Hamiltonian-based method for studying three-planet resonant chains, including stability analysis, dynamical mapping, and formation via migration, applicable to any number of planets.

Findings

Stable ACR families exist for all resonant chains.

Resonant chains can form through convergent migration.

Two types of stable resonant configurations are identified.

Abstract

A resonant chain may be formed in a multi-planetary system when ratios of the orbital periods can be expressed as ratios of small integers $T_1:T_2: \cdots :T_N=k_1: k_2: \cdots: k_N$. We investigate the dynamics and possible formation of resonant chain. The appropriate Hamiltonian for a three-planet resonant chain is defined and numerically averaged over the synodic period. The stable stationary solutions (apsidal corotational resonance, ACR) of this system, corresponding to the local extrema of Hamiltonian function, can be searched out numerically. The topology of the Hamiltonian around these ACRs reveals their stabilities. We further construct dynamical maps on representative planes to study the dynamics, and we calculate the deviation ($\chi^2$) of the resonant angle from the uniformly distributed values. Finally, the formation of resonant chain via convergent migration is simulated and stable configurations associated with ACRs are verified. We find that stable ACR families arising from circular orbits always exist for any resonant chain, and they may extend to high eccentricity. Around ACR solutions, regular motion are found in two types of resonant configurations. One is characterised by libration of both the two-body resonant angles and the three-body Laplace resonant angle, and the other by libration of only two-body resonant angles. The Laplace resonance seems not to contribute much to the stability. The resonant chain can be formed via convergent migration, and subsequently the resonant configuration evolves along the ACR families to eccentric orbits. Ideally, our methods introduced here can be applied to any resonant chain of any number of planets at any eccentricity.