Spin and Obliquity Evolution of Hot Jupiter Hosts from Resonance Locks

When a hot Jupiter orbits a star whose effective temperature exceeds ∼6100 K, its orbit normal tends to be misaligned with the stellar spin axis. Cooler stars typically have smaller obliquities, which may have been damped by hot Jupiters in resonance lock with axisymmetric stellar gravity modes (azi...

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Main Authors: J. J. Zanazzi, Eugene Chiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc114
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author J. J. Zanazzi
Eugene Chiang
author_facet J. J. Zanazzi
Eugene Chiang
author_sort J. J. Zanazzi
collection DOAJ
description When a hot Jupiter orbits a star whose effective temperature exceeds ∼6100 K, its orbit normal tends to be misaligned with the stellar spin axis. Cooler stars typically have smaller obliquities, which may have been damped by hot Jupiters in resonance lock with axisymmetric stellar gravity modes (azimuthal number m = 0). Here we allow for resonance locks with nonaxisymmetric modes, which affect both stellar obliquity and spin frequency. Obliquities damp for all modes (−2 ≤ m ≤ 2). Stars spin-up for m  > 0, and spin-down for m  < 0. We carry out a population synthesis that assumes hot Jupiters form misaligned around both cool and hot stars, and subsequently lock onto modes whose m- values yield the highest mode energies for given starting obliquities. Core hydrogen burning enables hot Jupiters to torque low-mass stars, but not high-mass stars, into spin–orbit alignment. Resonance locking plus stellar spin-down from magnetic braking largely reproduces observed obliquities and stellar rotation rates and how they trend with stellar effective temperature and orbital separation. The possible suppression of resonance locking by nonlinear dissipation of gravity waves remains an outstanding issue.
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spelling doaj-art-9eae4d72ef06461891c7ea498247cb462025-08-20T02:13:19ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-01983215710.3847/1538-4357/adc114Spin and Obliquity Evolution of Hot Jupiter Hosts from Resonance LocksJ. J. Zanazzi0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9849-5886Eugene Chiang1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6246-2310Astronomy Department, Theoretical Astrophysics Center, and Center for Integrative Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA ; jzanazzi@berkeley.eduAstronomy Department, Theoretical Astrophysics Center, and Center for Integrative Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA ; jzanazzi@berkeley.edu; Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720, USAWhen a hot Jupiter orbits a star whose effective temperature exceeds ∼6100 K, its orbit normal tends to be misaligned with the stellar spin axis. Cooler stars typically have smaller obliquities, which may have been damped by hot Jupiters in resonance lock with axisymmetric stellar gravity modes (azimuthal number m = 0). Here we allow for resonance locks with nonaxisymmetric modes, which affect both stellar obliquity and spin frequency. Obliquities damp for all modes (−2 ≤ m ≤ 2). Stars spin-up for m  > 0, and spin-down for m  < 0. We carry out a population synthesis that assumes hot Jupiters form misaligned around both cool and hot stars, and subsequently lock onto modes whose m- values yield the highest mode energies for given starting obliquities. Core hydrogen burning enables hot Jupiters to torque low-mass stars, but not high-mass stars, into spin–orbit alignment. Resonance locking plus stellar spin-down from magnetic braking largely reproduces observed obliquities and stellar rotation rates and how they trend with stellar effective temperature and orbital separation. The possible suppression of resonance locking by nonlinear dissipation of gravity waves remains an outstanding issue.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc114Hot JupitersStar-planet interactionsTidal interactionStellar evolutionExoplanet formation
spellingShingle J. J. Zanazzi
Eugene Chiang
Spin and Obliquity Evolution of Hot Jupiter Hosts from Resonance Locks
The Astrophysical Journal
Hot Jupiters
Star-planet interactions
Tidal interaction
Stellar evolution
Exoplanet formation
title Spin and Obliquity Evolution of Hot Jupiter Hosts from Resonance Locks
title_full Spin and Obliquity Evolution of Hot Jupiter Hosts from Resonance Locks
title_fullStr Spin and Obliquity Evolution of Hot Jupiter Hosts from Resonance Locks
title_full_unstemmed Spin and Obliquity Evolution of Hot Jupiter Hosts from Resonance Locks
title_short Spin and Obliquity Evolution of Hot Jupiter Hosts from Resonance Locks
title_sort spin and obliquity evolution of hot jupiter hosts from resonance locks
topic Hot Jupiters
Star-planet interactions
Tidal interaction
Stellar evolution
Exoplanet formation
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adc114
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