Planetary Systems within Elliptical Binary Stars?

[MrMojo1]

I read this article in Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature10768.html) as it describes two circumbinary planets. If it is assumed that most stars have a planet orbiting it and most Binary Star systems are elliptical, then wouldn't the majority of Binary Stars system not have planets due to tidal forces of both stars? I am assuming the orbital path of the stars to be intersecting in a figure "eight" pattern (e.g. the last animation of barycentric coordinates on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barycentric_coordinates_(astronomy)).

Thanks in advance.

 

[Drakkith]

I would expect that any planets would have to be well outside the orbital radius of the two binary stars or they would become unstable.

 

[D H]

I would expect that any planets would have to be well outside the orbital radius of the two binary stars or they would become unstable.

Well outside or well inside. The cited article is about planets orbiting well beyond the orbits of a pair of stars that orbit one another closely (close binaries). Another stable configuration is a pair of stars that orbit one another by some distance, with planets orbiting closely to one of the stars. In this configuration the other star just acts as a perturbation on the planetary orbits.

 

[Drakkith]

True, I guess it depends on the mass of the stars and the details of their orbits.

 

[pmacias]

I find this article and the concept of circumbinary planets within elliptical binary stars to be very intriguing. While it is true that the tidal forces of both stars in a binary system can make it challenging for planets to form and survive, this study has shown that it is not impossible. The two circumbinary planets in this system have managed to maintain stable orbits despite the gravitational interactions of the two stars.

It is important to note that not all binary star systems will have the same orbital paths as the one described in the article. While some may have intersecting orbits in a figure-eight pattern, others may have more circular orbits or even be separated by a significant distance. This means that the effects of tidal forces on potential planets may vary greatly among different binary systems.

Furthermore, it is also possible that the formation of planets in binary systems may be influenced by other factors such as the initial conditions of the protoplanetary disk or the presence of other nearby stars. Therefore, it is difficult to make a blanket statement about the likelihood of planets in binary systems based on their elliptical nature alone.

Overall, this study adds to our understanding of planetary formation and the potential for habitable worlds in binary systems. It also highlights the need for further research and exploration of these unique systems to fully understand the processes at play. Thank you for bringing this interesting topic to my attention.