On the degree of dynamical packing in the Kepler multiplanet systems

Current planet formation theories rely on initially compact orbital configurations undergoing a (possibly extended) phase of giant impacts following the dispersal of the dissipative protoplanetary disc. The orbital architectures of observed mature exoplanet systems have likely been strongly sculpted by chaotic dynamics, instabilities, and giant impacts. One possible signature of systems continually reshaped by instabilities and mergers is their dynamical packing. Early Kepler data showed that many multiplanet systems are maximally packed - placing an additional planet between an observed pair would make the system unstable. However, this result relied on placing the inserted planet in the most optimistic configuration for stability (e.g. circular orbits). While this would be appropriate in an ordered and dissipative picture of planet formation (i.e. planets dampen into their most stable configurations), we argue that this best-case scenario for stability is rarely realized due to the strongly chaotic nature of planet formation. Consequently, the degree of dynamical packing in multiplanet systems under a realistic formation model is likely significantly higher than previously realized. We examine the full Kepler multiplanet sample through this new lens, showing that similar to 60-95 of Kepler multiplanet systems are strongly packed and that dynamical packing increases with multiplicity. This may be a signature of dynamical sculpting or of undetected planets, showing that dynamical packing is an important metric that can be incorporated into planet formation modelling or when searching for unseen planets.

Automated summary

Current planet formation theories suggest that the orbital architectures of observed exoplanet systems have been shaped by chaotic dynamics, instabilities, and giant impacts. This study shows that a significant number of Kepler multiplanet systems exhibit strong dynamical packing, indicating the importance of this metric in planet formation modeling and the search for unseen planets.