2008/05/01 by Brian Jackson, Rory Barnes, Rory Barne +2
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1017/s1743921308026434
submitted 2008 Jul 3 to Proc. IAU Symp. No. 253, "Transiting Planets", eds. F. Pont et al., May 19-23, 2008, Cambridge, MA [13 pages]
openalex publication_date 2008/05/01 · arxiv created 2008/09/10 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract Transiting planets are generally close enough to their host stars that tides may govern their orbital and thermal evolution. We present calculations of the tidal evolution of recently discovered transiting planets and discuss their implications. The tidal heating that accompanies this orbital evolution can be so great that it controls the planet's physical properties and may explain the large radii observed in several cases, including, for example, TrES-4. Also, since a planet's transit probability depends on its orbit, it evolves due to tides. Current values depend sensitively on the physical properties of the star and planet, as well as on the system's age. As a result, tidal effects may introduce observational biases in transit surveys, which may already be evident in current observations. Transiting planets tend to be younger than non-transiting planets, an indication that tidal evolution may have destroyed many close-in planets. Also the distribution of the masses of transiting planets may constrain the orbital inclinations of non-transiting planets.