Habitable planet at L4/L5 of binary gas giants?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Malapine
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Binary
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the plausibility of a terrestrial planet existing at the L4 or L5 Lagrange points of two binary gas giants. For stability at these points, the mass ratio of the gas giants must exceed 25, ensuring that one giant is at least 25 times more massive than the other. While a planet could remain stable for a year, the long-term stability, potentially spanning billions of years, is highly questionable. Perturbations may lead to the planet becoming an impactor rather than being ejected, raising concerns about its habitability over extended periods.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Lagrange points in celestial mechanics
  • Knowledge of binary star systems and their dynamics
  • Familiarity with planetary formation and stability theories
  • Basic concepts of gravitational interactions and mass ratios
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the stability of celestial bodies at L4 and L5 Lagrange points
  • Explore the dynamics of binary gas giant systems
  • Investigate the conditions necessary for planetary habitability in complex gravitational environments
  • Study the effects of perturbations on planetary orbits in multi-body systems
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and planetary scientists interested in the dynamics of binary systems and the potential for habitable planets in complex gravitational fields.

Malapine
Messages
15
Reaction score
5
Would it be plausible to have two gas giants orbiting each other, a few million km apart, with a terrestrial planet at their mutual L4 or L5 point so that they both appear as visible disks fixed in the sky? Or would the terrestrial planet not be stable there and end up ejected?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The two giants would have to have a mass ratio above approximately 25 (i.e. one of the giants has to be 25 times more massive than the other) for their L4 and L5 points to be stable (for a particle there).
 
A possibly better question is "for how long"? A year? Easy. A hundred billion? Not so easy. In between is, well, in between.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Algr
Vanadium 50 said:
A possibly better question is "for how long"? A year? Easy. A hundred billion? Not so easy. In between is, well, in between.
And for a "Habitable planet" you probably need billions.
 
IIRC, even in 'halo' orbit around those nominally stable 'points', the unfortunate planet is not safe. Rather than perturbation causing ejection, it is more likely to become an impactor...

Which, IMHO, would be something to watch. By comparison, the SL_9 fragments' was almost trivial.
( FWIW, when I wondered if Jupiter's Great Red Spot was spawned by a mega-impact, it went badly... )

Ahead or behind at 'trojan' points of the two giants' combined mass-centre, your planet may stay around for a lot longer. Long enough for life to evolve beyond single-cells ??? I doubt it...
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
734
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
4K
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
5K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 87 ·
3
Replies
87
Views
10K
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
4K