How do we think the "hot Jupiters" around other stars were formed?
A)They formed as gas giants close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today.
B)They formed as dense,rocky planets close to the star in the same orbits that they are seen today.
C)They formed as gas giants beyond the frost line and then migrated inwards.
D)Many planets were formed around the star but coalesced into a single planet close in.
E)They spun off from the young star when it was rapidly rotating.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

"Hot Jupiters" are gas giants that have orbits very close to their parent stars. It is highly unlikely that they could have formed in their current location due to the hostile conditions there. The most likely explanation is that they formed farther out in their planetary systems, beyond the frost line, where conditions were more conducive to gas giant formation. Once formed, they migrated inwards towards their parent stars - possibly due to gravitational interactions with other planets or with the protoplanetary disk – until they reached their current orbits. This process is known as "migration" and is believed to be responsible for the majority of the hot Jupiters we observe.

How Do We Think the "Hot Jupiters" Around Other Stars