hi,
I have a few questions about the recent discoveries of exoplanets we have been discovering of late.
Generally, these planets have masses and size in excess of Jupiter, orbit their stars in 'days' with orbitals the diameter of our own Mercury - around stars that seem to be well on their way to red-giants, ie large.
What I have been wondering is if anyone has calculated what the orbital velocities must be, the rates of rotation of the planets and the stars and how it is physically possible for these systems to be stable according to the known laws of physics.
Why dont these planets, that must have huge orbital velocity fly apart or get flung off orbit.
It all seems a bit impossible to me... Or perhaps there is some funky relativity thing going on I dont quite understand - that means it all looks a bit magnified and sped up when we observe these systems.