Planetary Survival and Ejection in Transient Multiple Star Systems

Abstract

AbstractMany planets have been detected in close binary stars with separation only ~20 AU. These discoveries challenge the current theory of planet formation because binary stars with such an close separation are thought to have strong perturbations and thus inhibit planet formation around them. To address this issue, another scenario had been suggested: the binary separation was wider enough for binary formation in early stages, but it shrank to the present one after a transient triple star phase (stellar scattering phase). Here, we investigate how could planet survive or be ejected under this scenario. We find that (1) the odds of planetary survival are significantly reduced if scatterings between planets and/or planetesimals are included (2) circumbinary planets/planetesimals could be readily formed during such a transient phase.