A detailed dynamical investigation of the proposed QS Virginis planetary system

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.

• Author: J Horner; R A Wittenmyer; T C Hinse; J P Marshall; Alexander Mustill; C G Tinney
• Publishing year: 2013
• Language: English
• Pages: 2033-2039
• Publication/Series: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Volume: 435
• Issue: 3
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1420
• 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