Continuous reorientation of synchronous terrestrial planets due to mantle convection

Many known rocky exoplanets are thought to have been spun down by tidal interactions to a state of synchronous rotation, in which a planet’s period of rotation equals that of its orbit around its host star. Investigations into atmospheric and surface processes occurring on such exoplanets thus commonly assume that day and night sides are fixed with respect to the surface over geological timescales. Here we use an analytical model to show that true polar wander – where a planetary body’s spin axis shifts relative to its surface because of changes in mass distribution – can continuously reorient a synchronous rocky exoplanet. As occurs on Earth, we find that even weak mantle convection in a rocky exoplanet can produce density heterogeneities within the mantle sufficient to reorient the planet. Moreover, we show that this reorientation is made very efficient by the slower rotation rate of a synchronous planet compared to Earth, which limits the stabilizing effect of rotational and tidal deformations. Furthermore, the ability of a lithosphere to support remnant loads and stabilize against reorientation is limited. Although uncertainties exist regarding the mantle and lithospheric evolution of these worlds, we suggest that the axes of smallest and largest moment of inertia of synchronous exoplanets with active mantle convection change continuously over time but remain closely aligned with the star-planet and orbital axes, respectively.