DYNAMICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR LIFE IN MULTI-HABITABLE PLANETARY SYSTEMS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Inspired by the close-proximity pair of planets in the Kepler-36 system, we consider two effects that may have important ramifications for the development of life in similar systems where a pair of planets may reside entirely in the habitable zone of the hosting star. Specifically, we run numerical simulations to determine whether strong, resonant (or non-resonant) planet–planet interactions can cause large variations in planet obliquity—thereby inducing large variations in climate. We also determine whether or not resonant interactions affect the rate of lithopanspermia between the planet pair—which could facilitate the growth and maintenance of life on both planets. We find that first-order resonances do not cause larger obliquity variations when compared with non-resonant cases. We also find that these resonant interactions are not a primary consideration in lithopanspermia. Lithopanspermia is enhanced significantly as the planet orbits come closer together—reaching nearly the same rate as ejected material falling back to the surface of the originating planet (assuming that the ejected material makes it out to the location of our initial conditions). Thus, in both cases our results indicate that close-proximity planet pairs in multi-habitable systems are conducive to life in the system.