RETROGRADE OR NOT? DYNAMICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PLANET IN THE ECCENTRIC BINARY SYSTEM HD 59686
Seminars
Semester 2
The existence of planets in close and eccentric systems poses important challenges for both planetary formation theory and long-term dynamical stability. HD 59686 is a remarkable example, hosting a giant planet around the primary star together with a highly eccentric stellar companion. Recent radial velocity analyses suggest that the system may admit two fundamentally different orbital configurations: a dynamically stable retrograde planetary orbit or a narrowly constrained prograde orbit maintained through apsidal alignment.
In this talk, I present the dynamical architecture of the HD 59686 system using N-body simulations and stability analyses. I compare the long-term evolution of prograde and retrograde configurations and show that retrograde solutions exhibit significantly enhanced dynamical stability, whereas stable prograde solutions occupy only a very limited parameter space associated with aligned apsidal motion. I also discuss possible formation pathways for retrograde and apsidally aligned planets, which will be explored in future work. Upcoming radial velocity and direct imaging observations may help distinguish between these competing orbital architectures.
For additional information, please contact Mr. Zhizhen QIN, qinzhzh_5@connect.hku.hk.