Modeling Planetary Engulfment

In many planetary systems, dynamical processes and stellar evolution will lead to the engulfment of planets by their host stars. Multiple observations suggest that planetary engulfment plays a significant role in the evolution of planetary systems, including (i) stars with abnormal rotational and/or chemical properties, and (ii) the large number of planets at orbital separations such that their star will engulf them when it becomes a giant. A companion talk will discuss the observational signatures of planetary engulfment in detail.

In this talk, I will review models of planetary engulfment. I will also discuss the physical interpretation of ZTF SLRN-2020, an observed transient from a star engulfing a planet. Finally, I will discuss promising future models of planetary engulfment, with an emphasis on predicting its observational signatures and understanding its impact on stellar and planetary system evolution.