[FPSPACE] Theoretical planetary mass spectra - a predition for COROT

[LARRY KLAES]

Astrophysics, abstract
astro-ph/0702127

From: Christopher Broeg [view email]

Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2007 18:29:31 GMT   (1410kb)

Theoretical planetary mass spectra - a predition for COROT

Authors: C. Broeg

Comments: 6 pages, 3 figures, MNRAS letter, accepted 2007 February 1

The satellite COROT will search for close-in exo-planets around a few 
thousand stars using the transit search method. The COROT mission holds the 
promise of detecting numerous exo-planets. Together with radial velocity 
follow-up observations, the masses of the detected planets will be known.

We have devised a method for predicting the expected planetary populations 
and compared it to the already known exo-planets. Our method works by 
looking at all hydrostatic envelope solutions of giant gas planets that 
could possibly exist in arbitrary planetary nebulae and comparing the 
relative abundance of different masses. We have completed the first such 
survey of hydrostatic equilibria in an orbital range covering periods of 1 
to 50 days.

Statistical analysis of the calculated envelopes suggests division into 
three classes of giant planets that are distinguished by orbital separation. 
We term them classes G (close-in), H, and J (large separation). Each class 
has distinct properties such as a typical mass range.

Furthermore, the division between class H and J appears to mark important 
changes in the formation: For close-in planets (classes G and H) the concept 
of a critical core-mass is meaningless while it is important for class J. 
This result needs confirmation by future dynamical analysis.

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0702127