Kepler-34b (formally Kepler-34(AB)b) is a circumbinary planet announced with Kepler-35b. It is a small gas giant that orbits every ~288 days around two stars. Despite the planet's relatively long orbital period, its existence could be confirmed quickly due to transiting both of its host stars.

Kepler-34b
Discovery
Discovery date01-11-2012
Transit (Kepler Mission)
Orbital characteristics
Epoch BJD 2454969.2000
1.0896 ± 0.0009 AU (163,000,000 ± 130,000 km)
Eccentricity0.182 +0.0016
−0.0020
288.822 +0.063
−0.081
d
Inclination90.355 +0.026
−0.018
−1.74 +0.14
−0.16
106.5 +2.5
−2.0
StarKepler-34
Physical characteristics
0.764 +0.0012
−0.0014
RJ
8.56 R🜨
Mass0.220 +0.011
−0.010
MJ
(69.9 ME)
Mean density
0.613 +0.045
−0.041
g cm−3
936 +57
−54
m/s²
Temperature323

Kepler-34b was unlikely to form at its current orbit, and likely migrated early from its birth orbit beyond 1.5 AU away from its parent binary stars, suffering multiple giant impacts in the process.[1] The eccentricity of its planetary orbit might have been acquired on the last stage of migration, due to interaction with the residual debris disk,[2] or by ejection of a second planet.[3]

References

edit
  1. ^ Lines, S.; Leinhardt, Z. M.; Paardekooper, S.; Baruteau, C.; Thebault, P. (2014), "Forming Circumbinary Planets: N -Body Simulations of Kepler-34", The Astrophysical Journal, 782 (1): L11, arXiv:1402.0509, Bibcode:2014ApJ...782L..11L, doi:10.1088/2041-8205/782/1/L11, S2CID 119214559
  2. ^ Pierens, A.; Nelson, R. P. (2013), "Migration and gas accretion scenarios for the Kepler 16, 34, and 35 circumbinary planets", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 556: A134, arXiv:1307.0713, Bibcode:2013A&A...556A.134P, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201321777, S2CID 118597351
  3. ^ Gong, Yan-Xiang; Ji, Jianghui (2017), "The Scattering Outcomes of Kepler Circumbinary Planets: Planet Mass Ratio", The Astronomical Journal, 154 (5): 179, arXiv:1709.04433, Bibcode:2017AJ....154..179G, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa8c7c, S2CID 119085156