  We present a new empirical calibration of equilibrium tidal theory for
extrasolar planet systems, extending a prior study by incorporating detailed
physical models for the internal structure of planets and host stars. The
resulting strength of the stellar tide produces a coupling that is strong
enough to reorient the spins of some host stars without causing catastrophic
orbital evolution, thereby potentially explaining the observed trend in
alignment between stellar spin and planetary orbital angular momentum. By
isolating the sample whose spins should not have been altered in this model, we
also show evidence for two different processes that contribute to the
population of planets with short orbital periods.
  We apply our results to estimate the remaining lifetimes for short period
planets, examine the survival of planets around evolving stars, and determine
the limits for circularisation of planets with highly eccentric orbits. Our
analysis suggests that the survival of circularised planets is strongly
affected by the amount of heat dissipated, which is often large enough to lead
to runaway orbital inflation and Roche lobe overflow.
