Uncovering the rapidly evolving orbits of the dynamic TOI-201 system
Studying planetary interactions in exoplanet systems informs theories of planet formation and evolution, providing essential context for understanding our own solar system. We combine spectroscopy, transit photometry, transit timing variations, and astrometry to characterize the TOI-201 system. The cotransiting system consists of a super-Earth, warm Jupiter, and massive companion at 5.8-, 53-, and 2900-day orbital periods, respectively. We perform dynamical simulations to study the past and future of the system. von-Zeipel-Kozai-Lidov oscillations emerge as the most plausible scenario to explain the outer companion's high orbital eccentricity, with planet-planet scattering a possible but less likely contender. Because of nonzero mutual inclinations between the planets, the system is visibly evolving on very short timescales, with the current cotransiting configuration ending in 200 years.
Authors
- Thiam-Guan Tan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5603-6895)
- Matteo Beltrame
- Ismael Mireles (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4510-2268)
- Jon M. Jenkins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4715-9460)
- Lyu Abe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0856-4527)
- Ramotholo Sefako (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3904-6754)
- Soléne Ulmer-Moll (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2417-7006)
- H. P. Osborn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4047-4724)
- M. Lendl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9699-1459)
- Theron W. Carmichael (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6416-1274)
- F. Murgas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9087-1245)
- Ε. Πάλλη (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0987-1593)
- Diana Dragomir (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2313-467X)
- H. Parviainen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5519-1391)
- A. Agabi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7948-6493)
- Karen A. Collins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6588-9574)
- Chris Stockdale (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2163-1437)
- J. Korth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0076-6239)
- F. X. Schmider (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3914-3546)
- Thomas A Baycroft (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3300-3449)
- Richard P. Schwarz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8227-1020)
- Olga Suárez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3503-3617)
- Tim Hallatt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4992-8427)
- Khalid Barkaoui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1464-9276)
- Alexander Venner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8400-1646)
- David Rapetti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2196-6675)
- Ian Transom (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8941-1943)
- T GUILLOT
- Lauren A. Sgro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6629-5399)
- Sarah Millholland (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3130-2282)
- Attila Bódi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8585-4544)
- Philippe Bendjoya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4278-1437)
- D. Mékarnia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5000-7292)
- Donald Liveoak
- Siddharth Bhatnagar
- D Rivett
- Pedro Figueira
- Vincent Deloupy
- David Havell
- K Horne
- S Udry
- F P Wilkin
- Peter Wheatley
- J D Hartman
- A H M J Triaud
- F Bouchy
- Antoine Petit
- Avi Shporer
- Radmila Dancikova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7818-3989)
- Gregor Srdoc
Institutions
- Concordia University Wisconsin (US)
- University of Geneva (CH)
- University of Bern (CH)
- Leiden University (NL)
- Ames Research Center (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Planetary Science Institute (US)
- Universities Space Research Association (US)
- University of Hawaii System (US)
- Citigroup (US)
- Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (US)
- University of Liège (BE)
- Universidad de La Laguna (ES)
- University of St Andrews (GB)
- University of New Mexico (US)
- Union College (US)
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
- University of Southern Queensland (AU)
- Princeton University (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Oakwood Academy (GB)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- University of Warwick (GB)
- HES-SO Genève (CH)
- Perth Exoplanet Survey Telescope Observatory (AU)
- Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (DE)
- South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (ZA)
- Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US)
- Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (FR)
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (ES)
- Public Citizen (US)
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (ES)
- École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (US)
- Macquarie University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Published
- 2026-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef2618
- Primary Topic
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- California Institute of Technology
- Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center
- European Commission
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas
- Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning
- Institut Polaire Français Paul Emile Victor
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- Ames Research Center
- Science Mission Directorate
- Science and Technology Facilities Council
- European Regional Development Fund
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación