Abstract

WD planets with GAIA

Roberto Silvotti (INAF-OATo)

A. Sozzetti, M. Lattanzi, R. Morbidelli - INAF-OATo

To date not a single bona fide planet has been identified orbiting an isolated white dwarf. In fact we are ignorant about the final evolutionary configuration of >95% of planetary systems. Theoretical models predict a gap in the final distribution of orbital periods, due to the opposite effects of stellar mass loss (planets pushed outwards) and tidal interactions (planets pushed inwards) during the RGB and the AGB. Over its five year primary mission, GAIA is expected to astrometrically detect the first (few hundreds) of WD Jovian planets giving first evidence that WD planets exist, at least those in wide orbits. In this talk we will present detailed simulations of what GAIA will be able to detect in this field.

Mode of presentation: oral