Tidal Inflation is Stronger for Misaligned Neptune-Sized Planets Than Aligned Ones
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arXiv
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| Hauptverfasser: | , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866909667511238656 |
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| author | Sethi, Ritika Millholland, Sarah |
| author_facet | Sethi, Ritika Millholland, Sarah |
| contents | Recent observations have revealed an intriguing abundance of polar-orbiting Neptune-sized planets, many of which exhibit unusually inflated radii. While such misaligned orbits point to a complex dynamical history, the connection between their orbital orientations and planetary structures remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyze a sample of 12 misaligned and 12 aligned planets using structure models that incorporate tidal heating. We use various statistical tests to demonstrate with at least $90\%$ confidence that misaligned planets experience more tidally-induced radius inflation compared to aligned planets. This inflation likely stems from their dynamically active histories, which often place them in close-in, eccentric, and highly inclined orbits. We further present a case study of WASP-107~b, an exceptionally inflated polar Neptune, and model its history using a simple coupled orbital and radius evolution approach. Our results place constraints on the planet's tidal quality factor that agree with recent JWST observations. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_24100 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Tidal Inflation is Stronger for Misaligned Neptune-Sized Planets Than Aligned Ones Sethi, Ritika Millholland, Sarah Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Recent observations have revealed an intriguing abundance of polar-orbiting Neptune-sized planets, many of which exhibit unusually inflated radii. While such misaligned orbits point to a complex dynamical history, the connection between their orbital orientations and planetary structures remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyze a sample of 12 misaligned and 12 aligned planets using structure models that incorporate tidal heating. We use various statistical tests to demonstrate with at least $90\%$ confidence that misaligned planets experience more tidally-induced radius inflation compared to aligned planets. This inflation likely stems from their dynamically active histories, which often place them in close-in, eccentric, and highly inclined orbits. We further present a case study of WASP-107~b, an exceptionally inflated polar Neptune, and model its history using a simple coupled orbital and radius evolution approach. Our results place constraints on the planet's tidal quality factor that agree with recent JWST observations. |
| title | Tidal Inflation is Stronger for Misaligned Neptune-Sized Planets Than Aligned Ones |
| topic | Earth and Planetary Astrophysics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.24100 |