Highly inclined and eccentric massive planets I. Planet-disc interactions

• Published in: Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin) Vol. 555; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Bitsch, B, Crida, A, Libert, A-S, Lega, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.07.2013
• Subjects: Discs; Disks; Eccentricity; Extrasolar planets; Inclination; Orbitals; Planets; Solar system
• ISSN: 0004-6361; 1432-0746
• DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201220310

In the solar system, planets have a small inclination with respect to the equatorial plane of the Sun, but there is evidence that in extrasolar systems the inclination can be very high. This spin-orbit misalignment is unexpected, as planets form in a protoplanetary disc supposedly aligned with the stellar spin. It has been proposed that planet-planet interactions can lead to mutual inclinations during migration in the protoplanetary disc. In this paper we investigate planet-disc interactions for planets above 1 M [subjup]. We check the influence of three parameters. The interactions with the disc lead to damping of i and e after a scattering event of high-mass planets. If i is sufficiently reduced, the eccentricity can be pumped up because of interactions with the disc. If the planet is scattered to high inclination, it can undergo a Kozai-cycle with the disc that makes it hard to predict the exact movement of the planet and its orbital parameters at the dispersal of the disc.