Analytically Evaluating the Stability of Multi-Planet Systems with Binary Companions*

There is reason to believe, based on prior research, that in a number exoplanet systems, there could be currently unknown binary companion stars orbiting alongside the planets. I was able to investigate this idea through creating simulations of exoplanet systems using a computational approach. I created a python pipeline that ran simulations of hypothetical exoplanet systems to determine where a hypothetical binary companion star could physically exist within the system and produced detailed graphs of the results. These graphs showed at what distance and eccentricity these binary companions could theoretically lie. I was later able to utilize this pipeline to run simulations of real life exoplanet systems with suspected binary companions to determine where they may exist and am still in the process of sorting through these systems. Using the simulations I created, I have been able to determine that a number of real life exoplanet systems produced results that proved a binary companion star could possibly exist within the system. This provides futher confirmation and evidence for future research on these hypothetical binaries. I look forward to turning this pipeline into a python package that can be used more widely.