Yuzhe Song

Dynamical Modelling of Planetary Systems around Binary M dwarfs

Many occurrences in the early stages of planet formation can impact the fate of the system. In this work, we explore how stellar multiplicity affects mature planetary systems, e.g., whether close-in stellar companions inhibit planet formation or alter planet properties. The volume-limited Pervasive Overview of “Kompanions” of Every M dwarf in Our Neighborhood (POKEMON) survey has used speckle imaging to measure the stellar multiplicity of 455 M dwarfs within 15 pc. These observations have revealed that planet-hosting M-dwarf multiples have much larger separations than non-planet-hosting multiples. In this work, we will use REBOUND – an N-body integrator – to model the dynamical evolution of planetary systems in multi-star systems. These simulations will help us determine whether the trend revealed by the POKEMON survey is an observational effect or empirical evidence for the impact of stellar companions on planet formation.