Investigating the Stability of Planetary Systems within Evolving Binary Star Systems in Star Clusters

The dynamics of a planetary system orbiting the primary star contained within a binary are predominantly affected by the mass ratio, semi-major axis, and eccentricity of that binary. How these properties evolve with time depends largely on the system’s environment; within the confines of a star cluster, the primary star and its companion are exposed to gravitational perturbations from neighbouring stars. If they are strong enough, these perturbations can significantly alter the orbital elements of the binary, and can subsequently disrupt the stability of primary-orbiting planets. In this work, I investigate how the orbital elements of binaries change in a short period of time due to close encounters with stellar neighbours within a star cluster, and how the evolving binaries’ orbital motions destabilize planetary systems orbiting about the primary stars. I then compare the results of planetary systems within binaries in a star cluster to what would be observed around isolated binaries that have escaped their host environments.