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Alexander Mustill. Profile picture.

Alexander Mustill

Researcher

Alexander Mustill. Profile picture.

A detailed dynamical investigation of the proposed QS Virginis planetary system

Author

  • J Horner
  • R A Wittenmyer
  • T C Hinse
  • J P Marshall
  • Alexander Mustill
  • C G Tinney

Summary, in English

In recent years, a number of planetary systems have been proposed to orbit-evolved binary star systems. The presence of planets is invoked to explain observed variations in the timing of mutual eclipses between the primary and secondary components of the binary star system. The planets recently proposed orbiting the cataclysmic variable system QS Virginis are the latest in this ongoing series of `extreme planets'.The two planets proposed to orbit QS Virginis would move on mutually crossing orbits - a situation that is almost invariably unstable on very short time-scales. In this work, we present the results of a detailed dynamical study of the orbital evolution of the two proposed planets, revealing that they are dynamically unstable on time-scales of less than one thousand years across the entire range of orbital elements that provide a plausible fit to the observational data, and regardless of their mutual orbital inclination. We conclude that the proposed planets around the cataclysmic variable QS Virginis simply cannot exist.

Publishing year

2013

Language

English

Pages

2033-2039

Publication/Series

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Volume

435

Issue

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Topic

  • Physical Sciences
  • Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Keywords

  • Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
  • Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
  • binaries: eclipsing
  • planetary systems
  • planets and satellites: general
  • stars: individual: QS Vir
  • white dwarfs

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1365-2966