Brian Jackson

Professor of Physics at Boise State University

  • About Brian
  • Our Group’s Research
    • CV
    • Joining the Boise State Planetary Science Research Group
    • Research Experiences for Undergrads
    • Ultra-short-period planet database
    • The Short Period Planets Group — S(u)PerP(i)G
    • Google Scholar Page
    • Code
  • Teaching
  • Public Outreach
    • Boise State’s Astronomical Observatory
    • Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve STEM Network

Valsecchi+ (2014) — “From Hot Jupiters to Super-Earths Via Roche Lobe Overflow”

Posted by admin on August 21, 2014
Posted in: Publications.
Artist's conception of tidal disruption of a gas giant planet.

Artist’s conception of tidal disruption of a gas giant planet.

Neat paper today from Francesca Valsecchi and colleagues at Northwestern University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics. They looked at the final fates of gas giant planets that wander too close to their host stars, sometime called “hot Jupiters”.

This unexpected but apparently fairly common class of planet consists of massive planets made mostly of hydrogen and helium, like Jupiter, but, unlike Jupiter, these planets orbit tens or even hundreds of times closer to their host stars than the Earth orbits the Sun. Consequently, many of these hot Jupiters are fated to spiral closer and closer to their stars, eventually getting so close that their host stars’ gravity rips them apart, drawing their atmospheres into thin accretion disk around the star. This process is called “Roche lobe overflow” (RLO).

Once the progenitor hot Jupiter has lost its atmosphere, what’s left behind is probably the rocky/icy core at its center, and following up studies by other groups, Valsecchi and colleagues point out that RLO of hot Jupiters may help explain the puzzling presence of small rocky planets also found orbiting very close to their host stars. These little bodies may indeed be the skeletal remnants of unspeakable astrophysical violence.

Posts navigation

← MacKenzie+ (2014) — “Evidence of Titan’s Climate History from Evaporite Distribution”
Automated pitted cone identification experiment →
  • Recent Posts

    • University of Tokyo – 2025 Jun 10
    • M-MATISSE 2025 Workshop
    • Aerial Exploration of Mars – PNACP 2025
    • Summer 2025 First Friday Astronomy
    • Spring 2025 First Friday Astronomy
  • Archives

    • June 2025
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • August 2024
    • July 2024
    • June 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • October 2023
    • September 2023
    • August 2023
    • July 2023
    • May 2023
    • April 2023
    • March 2023
    • February 2023
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • August 2022
    • July 2022
    • June 2022
    • May 2022
    • April 2022
    • March 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • November 2021
    • October 2021
    • September 2021
    • August 2021
    • July 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    • December 2013
    • November 2013
    • October 2013
    • September 2013
    • August 2013
    • July 2013
Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Parament by Automattic.