Orbital decay of hot Jupiters : coefficients of nonlinear tidal coupling as a function of the stellar host type

Abstract

Hot Jupiters raise strong tides in their host stars due to their large masses (around a Jupiter mass) and tight orbits (orbital periods P </~ 3 days). These tides remove orbital energy and angular momentum, causing the planet's orbit to decay. The rate of decay depends on the detailed structure of the host star through the coefficients of nonlinear tidal coupling. Here we calculate these coefficients over a range of stellar mass and age on the main sequence (0.8 </= M/M < 1.2). These coefficients provide crucial input for future studies of nonlinear tidal dissipation; our analysis enables these studies to be extended to systems with non-solar-type hosts.