Evolution of eccentricity and orbital inclination of migrating planets in 2:1 mean motion resonance

Abstract

We determine, analytically and numerically, the conditions needed for a system of two migrating planets trapped in a 2:1 mean motion resonance to enter an inclination-type resonance. We provide an expression for the asymptotic equilibrium value that the eccentricity $e_{\rm i}$ of the inner planet reaches under the combined effects of migration and eccentricity damping. We also show that, for a ratio $q$ of inner to outer masses below unity, $e_{\rm i}$ has to pass through a value $e_{\rm i,res}$ of order 0.3 for the system to enter an inclination-type resonance. Numerically, we confirm that such a resonance may also be excited at another, larger, value $e_{\rm i, res} \simeq 0.6$, as found by previous authors. A necessary condition for onset of an inclination-type resonance is that the asymptotic equilibrium value of $e_{\rm i}$ is larger than $e_{\rm i,res}$. We find that, for $q \le 1$, the system cannot enter an inclination-type resonance if the ratio of eccentricity to semimajor axis damping timescales $t_e/t_a$ is smaller than 0.2. This result still holds if only the eccentricity of the outer planet is damped and $q \lesssim 1$. As the disc/planet interaction is characterized by $t_e/t_a \sim 10^{-2}$, we conclude that excitation of inclination through the type of resonance described here is very unlikely to happen in a system of two planets migrating in a disc.