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Post by TheGlyphstone on Nov 29, 2004 17:42:58 GMT -5
I just had an interesting idea for a planet, thought I'd throw it out to chew on, and see if it's even possible.
What if there was a single planet orbiting two binary stars in (relatively) close orbit to each other. The gravity of these stars is such that when the planet completes an orbit around one star, it is caught up in the other star's grip and orbits it for one revolution, resulting in a sort of figure-eight orbit.
I have no idea if this is even possible, let alone a habitable planet. There'd be some serious stress on the planet during the "transition" period, if it could even survive without being torn apart.
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Post by Kage2020 on Nov 29, 2004 22:17:19 GMT -5
I'm sure that someone like Destecado will jump in on this one with the 'true' science but until that time...
AFAIK, the Guide covers situations in which a binary stars have planetary systems. If you generate a Close Companion, then the planet orbits around both stars which (in essence) act as a single star with a combined luminscence. If they're Far Companions then they don't really play a part with each other, i.e. Anargo Primus and Secundus.
For those situations where star are at the distance that you want, the tendency is (IIRC) to have orbits 'beyond A', 'between A and B' and 'beyond B'. Not sure whether one would create a stable situation where you get a figure of eight configuration, though...
Of course, it would be just plain interesting to have a star system in which a companion star took an active role unlike the Anargo example...
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Post by TheGlyphstone on Nov 30, 2004 5:07:15 GMT -5
ah well. It was just a weird idea, nothing I could capitalize on for a while. I've still got the Atlanteans and Karnak to finish.
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Post by Khorne on Feb 1, 2005 20:38:43 GMT -5
Dude wouldn't the stars explod? cause there gravitational pull each other togather. thus the planet will DIE I'm not trying to be a jerk but that sound Imposible. Unless it is in the Eye of Terror. ( in your world)
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Post by Zholud on Feb 2, 2005 6:20:10 GMT -5
I just had an interesting idea for a planet, thought I'd throw it out to chew on, and see if it's even possible. It is theoretically possible, but probability to have planets with 8-like instead of elipsoid orbit is low.  |
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Post by Kage2020 on Feb 2, 2005 22:35:44 GMT -5
Any "outside influence" on such a delicate system would likely result in the ejection of the planet either out of the star system or into, well, one of the stars. Asteroids, comets, even hefty ships using 'slingshots' and Hoffman orbitals...  |
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Post by Dazo on Feb 3, 2005 6:49:11 GMT -5
Isn't this the case of Hydraphur, it also orbits in a binary system. Not sure about swapping stars though, it would have to be absolutly perfect for that to happen, and I doubt that it would be.
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Post by RascalLeader on Feb 3, 2005 17:08:23 GMT -5
Wouldn't the planets explode? I am sure they would get crushed if they got inbetween the gravity of two stars. If they were far enoght away then their is a chance (as slim as it is) that planets would get torn out of a stable orbit and slingshot into deep space.
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Post by Destecado on Feb 4, 2005 15:05:00 GMT -5
Sorry it took me so long to notice this thread. The figure eight pattern that you are describing seems unworkable based on our current knowledge of planetary mechanics. In Newtonian Physics, planets maintain their orbits due to consrvation of angular momentum.
A figure eight pattern might lead to instabilities in the planets orbit which could either send it spinning off into space or crashing into one of the suns. There are other problems with have such close binaries. One of the potential hazards is what is called an accreting binaries.
If the stars are too close to each other, matter may stream from one star to the other. This trail of stellar material might intesect the planetary orbit. Passing through the stellar material, the planet would most likely be incinerated.
If the planet instead has an excentric orbit that does not carry it through the stellar matter stream, it may still face incineration. The momentum of the selar matter may cause it to orbit the companion star rather than falling into it. Depending on the momentum of the stellar material, the accretion disk may extend out to the orbit of the planet.
There are generally to possibilities for planets to have stable orbits in a binary system. They can be in orbit around one of the stars of the binary system. The mathmatic models for determining the necessary distances of the stars are rather complex...suffice to say that the odds of finding such a body in a close binary system are rather remote.
The other possibility of a stable orbit in a binary system is to have the planet at the Trogan Points (L4 or L5 Lagrange Points). An example of such a stable system exists in our own Solar System. The "Trojan Asteroids", are found in Jupiter's orbit, sixty degrees ahead and behind Jupiter.
By replacing the Sun and Jupiter with a Massive star and a less massive star (respectively), it may be possible for a "Trojan Planet" to exist at the L4or L5 points. Whether or not the planet would have a habitable environment is dependent upon the stars types and masses involved in the equation.
This system requires that the more massive of the two stars be more than twenty times the mass of the less massive star. Unfortunately no known binary systems that we have found to date contain such a pair...it is still possible for the system to be stable even if it does not meet this criterion, as long as there are no other massive objects that could affect the planet. This would mean no gas giants.
I hope this information proves helpful.
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Post by TheGlyphstone on Feb 4, 2005 16:39:20 GMT -5
It is helpful, in a "idea-goes-shooting-down-in-flames" kind of way. I never really expected a figure-8 orbit to be feasible though, so no harm done.
I actually did remember reading about Lagrange points somewhere on here, and that was going to be my second idea for a "weird" planet involving a binary star.
Could a planet exist near a smaller binary star set?
Never mind, I just reread your post. I'll keep this idea in reserve for when Karnak is finished, unless someone else decides to develop a planet around this concept.
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