The strange rotation of the red giant star Kepler-56 has long stumped astronomers because its behaviour does not fit with their expectations of a star in such a late stage of evolution. Its outer layers rotate much too fast, while its core rotates at an angle completely different from that.
Now, a new study suggests a dramatic event that could be the most probable cause Kepler-56 likely swallowed one of its own planets.
A Star With a Twisted Spin
Takato Tokuno of the University of Tokyo explored the question of why the star’s outer envelope is rotating unusually fast for a red giant: usually, stars expand and cool with age, causing their rate of spin to slow dramatically.
But Kepler-56 seemed to be an exception. Its core and envelope are also tilted in different directions a rare configuration suggesting something violent occurred in the system’s past.
What is the Case for a Lost Planet
Early theories suggested that one of the star’s planets might have gradually tugged on its host, much like Jupiter subtly influences the Sun. Over millions of years, such interactions can transfer energy and alter a star’s rotation.
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But Tokuno found that the conditions required for this slow-motion process were too precise to explain Kepler-56’s extreme behaviour. This nudged him toward a more dramatic explanation with the star may have consumed a massive planet, injecting a surge of angular momentum and throwing its internal alignment off balance.
A Hot Jupiter as the Likely Victim
Based on modeling, the consumed world was a likely hot Jupiter of half to two times the mass of Jupiter and in a very close orbit to the star. Such planets are already at risk of spiraling into their hosts as orbits decay.
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If Kepler-56 engulfed such a planet at an angle, the resulting impact could explain both the speed of the outer layers and the tilt between the core and envelope. Tokuno notes that even if the star were born with a rapid spin, the misalignment still points to a dramatic early collision.
What This Means for Stellar Evolution
The findings offer new insight into how stars evolve and how planetary systems meet their demise. Kepler-56 may portend what could happen in many star systems including our own as aging stars grow large enough to swallow close-orbiting planets.
Tokuno’s paper, which was posted on arXiv, is a compelling addition to the growing evidence that stars often reshape their systems in violent ways.
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Disclaimer: This article summarises scientific research and should be interpreted as analysis, not definitive proof, as the study has not yet undergone peer review.
