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Updated: Apr 19, 2026
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Published on: May 10, 2020
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Exoplanet orbital eccentricity: multiplicity relation and the Solar System
Mary Anne Limbach1, Edwin L Turner2
1Departments of Astrophysical Sciences and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544; and.
Summary
The Solar System is not unusual among exoplanetary systems. A new study reveals orbital eccentricity decreases with more planets, fitting our Solar System into the broader cosmic context.
Area of Science:
- Exoplanetary Science
- Astronomy
- Astrophysics
Background:
- Exoplanetary systems often display higher orbital eccentricities compared to our Solar System.
- This has led to the prevailing view that the Solar System is atypical.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between orbital eccentricity and system multiplicity in exoplanetary systems.
- To re-evaluate the Solar System's typicality within the broader population of planetary systems.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of cataloged radial velocity (RV) exoplanetary systems.
- Statistical examination of orbital eccentricity and the number of planets per system.
- Extrapolation of observed trends to compare with the Solar System's configuration.
Main Results:
- A strong anticorrelation was found between orbital eccentricity and system multiplicity.
- The Solar System's eccentricity distribution aligns with this anticorrelation when its eight-planet multiplicity is considered.
- Even as a single or double-planet system, the Solar System occupies a common region in eccentricity-multiplicity space.
Conclusions:
- The Solar System is not anomalous regarding orbital eccentricities when system multiplicity is accounted for.
- Orbital eccentricity decreases as a power law with increasing system multiplicity (index -1.20).
- Low eccentricities may favor higher planet multiplicities, potentially increasing the prevalence of habitable systems.
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