NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Stability Analysis of the Planetary System Orbiting Upsilon AndromedaeWe present results of long-term numerical orbital integrations designed to test the stability of the three-planet system orbiting upsilon Andromedae and short-term integrations to test whether mutual perturbations among the planets can be used to determine planetary masses. Our initial conditions are based on recent fits to the radial velocity data obtained by the planet search group at Lick Observatory. The new fits result in significantly more stable systems than did the initially announced planetary parameters. Our integrations using the 2000 February parameters show that if the system is nearly planar, then it is stable for at least 100 Myr for m(sub f) = 1/sin i less than or = 4. In some stable systems, the eccentricity of the inner planet experiences large oscillations. The relative periastra of the outer two planets' orbits librate about 0 deg. in most of the stable systems; if future observations imply that the periastron longitudes of these planets are very closely aligned at the present epoch, dynamical simulations may provide precise estimates for the masses and orbital inclinations of these two planets.
Document ID
20020001249
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Lissauer, Jack J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Rivera, Eugenio J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
DeVincenzi, Donald
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
June 20, 2001
Publication Information
Publication: Astrophysical Journal
Publisher: American Astronomical Society
Volume: 554
Subject Category
Astronomy
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-9680
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-4640
PROJECT: RTOP 344-30-50-01
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available