Stable Orbits in the Feeding Zone of the Planet Proxima Centauri c

Abstract

Estimates of the size of the feeding zone of the planet Proxima Centauri c have been made at initial orbital eccentricities of planetesimals equal to 0.02 or 0.15. The research is based on the results of modeling of the evolution of planetesimals’ orbits under the influence of the star and planets Proxima Centauri c and b. The considered time interval reached a billion years. It was found that after the accumulation of the planet Proxima Centauri c some planetesimals may have continued to move in stable elliptical orbits within its feeding zone, largely cleared of planetesimals. Usually such planetesimals can move in some resonances with the planet (Proxima Centauri c), for example, in the resonances 1 : 1 (as Jupiter Trojans), 5 : 4 and 3 : 4 and usually have small eccentricities. Some planetesimals that moved for a long time (1–2 million years) along chaotic orbits fell into the resonances 5 : 2 and 3 : 10 with the planet Proxima Centauri c and moved in them for at least tens of millions of years.