Giant Planet Engulfment by Evolved Giant Stars: Light Curves, Asteroseismology, and Survivability
Christopher E. O’Connor, Lars Bildsten, Matteo Cantiello, Dong Lai
Abstract
Abstract About ten percent of Sun-like (1–2 M ⊙ ) stars will engulf a 1–10 M J planet as they expand during the red giant branch (RGB) or asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase of their evolution. Once engulfed, these planets experience a strong drag force in the star’s convective envelope and spiral inward, depositing energy and angular momentum. For these mass ratios, the inspiral takes ∼10–10 2 yr (∼10 2 –10 3 orbits); the planet undergoes tidal disruption at a radius of ∼1 R ⊙ . We use the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics ( MESA ) software instrument to track the stellar response to the energy deposition while simultaneously evolving the planetary orbit. For RGB stars, as well as AGB stars with M p ≲ 5 M J planets, the star responds quasi-statically but still brightens measurably on a timescale of years. In addition, asteroseismic indicators, such as the frequency spacing or rotational splitting, differ before and after engulfment. For AGB stars, engulfment of an M p ≳ 5 M J planet drives supersonic expansion of the envelope, causing a bright, red, dusty eruption similar to a “luminous red nova.” Based on the peak luminosity, color, duration, and expected rate of these events, we suggest that engulfment events on the AGB could be a significant fraction of low-luminosity red novae in the Galaxy. We do not find conditions where the envelope is ejected prior to the planet’s tidal disruption, complicating the interpretation of short-period giant planets orbiting white dwarfs as survivors of common envelope evolution.