Smadar Naoz et al. (2011)
Shows how Lidov–Kozai–like secular planet–planet interactions can drive hot Jupiter formation via high-eccentricity migration.
Hot Jupiters are hard to explain with simple, smooth disk migration alone, especially when their orbits are misaligned with the host star’s spin. This Nature paper argues that purely secular planet–planet interactions can excite large eccentricities and inclinations through Lidov–Kozai–type dynamics, sending a giant planet onto a very close-in orbit that later circularizes into a hot Jupiter. The key implication is that an unseen outer planetary companion can act as the perturber, so stellar binaries are not required to trigger high-eccentricity migration. It connects spin–orbit misalignments and hot-Jupiter occurrence to long-term secular dynamics and the architecture of multi-planet systems.
Long-term secular (orbit-averaged) dynamical modeling of hierarchical two-planet systems including high-inclination Lidov–Kozai–type evolution.
Celestial mechanics of secular perturbations, including Lidov–Kozai resonances and tidal circularization concepts.