668 research outputs found
Migration and giant planet formation
We extend the core-accretion model of giant gaseous planets by Pollack et al.
(\cite{P96}) to include migration, disc evolution and gap formation. Starting
with a core of a fraction of an Earth's mass located at 8 AU, we end our
simulation with the onset of runaway gas accretion when the planet is at 5.5 AU
1 Myr later. This timescale is about a factor ten shorter than the one found by
Pollack et al. (\cite{P96}) even though the disc was less massive initially and
viscously evolving. Other initial conditions can lead to even shorter
timescales. The reason for this speed-up is found to result from the fact that
a moving planet does not deplete its feeding zone to the extend of a static
planet. Thus, the uncomfortably long formation timescale associated with the
core-accretion scenario can be considerably reduced and brought in much better
agreement with the typical disc lifetimes inferred from observations of young
circumstellar discs.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, published in A&A Letter
Theoretical models of planetary system formation. II. Post-formation evolution
We extend the results of planetary formation synthesis by computing the
long-term evolution of synthetic systems from the clearing of the gas disk into
the dynamical evolution phase. We use the symplectic integrator SyMBA to
numerically integrate the orbits of planets for 100 Ma, using populations from
previous studies as initial conditions.We show that within the populations
studied, mass and semi-major axis distributions experience only minor changes
from post-formation evolution. We also show that, depending upon their initial
distribution, planetary eccentricities can statistically increase or decrease
as a result of gravitational interactions. We find that planetary masses and
orbital spacings provided by planet formation models do not result in
eccentricity distributions comparable to observed exoplanet eccentricities,
requiring other phenomena such as e.g. stellar fly-bys to account for observed
eccentricities
Critical core mass for enriched envelopes: the role of H2O condensation
Context. Within the core accretion scenario of planetary formation, most
simulations performed so far always assume the accreting envelope to have a
solar composition. From the study of meteorite showers on Earth and numerical
simulations, we know that planetesimals must undergo thermal ablation and
disruption when crossing a protoplanetary envelope. Once the protoplanet has
acquired an atmosphere, the primordial envelope gets enriched in volatiles and
silicates from the planetesimals. This change of envelope composition during
the formation can have a significant effect in the final atmospheric
composition and on the formation timescale of giant planets.
Aims. To investigate the physical implications of considering the envelope
enrichment of protoplanets due to the disruption of icy planetesimals during
their way to the core. Particular focus is placed on the effect on the critical
core mass for envelopes where condensation of water can occur.
Methods. Internal structure models are numerically solved with the
implementation of updated opacities for all ranges of metallicities and the
software CEA to compute the equation of state. CEA computes the chemical
equilibrium for an arbitrary mixture of gases and allows the condensation of
some species, including water. This means that the latent heat of phase
transitions is consistently incorporated in the total energy budget.
Results. The critical core mass is found to decrease significantly when an
enriched envelope composition is considered in the internal structure
equations. A particular strong reduction of the critical core mass is obtained
for planets whose envelope metallicity is larger than Z=0.45 when the outer
boundary conditions are suitable for condensation of water to occur in the top
layers of the atmosphere. We show that this effect is qualitatively preserved
when the atmosphere is out of chemical equilibrium.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&
Theory of planet formation and comparison with observation: Formation of the planetary mass-radius relationship
The planetary mass-radius diagram is an observational result of central
importance to understand planet formation. We present an updated version of our
planet formation model based on the core accretion paradigm which allows to
calculate planetary radii and luminosities during the entire formation and
evolution of the planets. We first study with it the formation of Jupiter, and
compare with previous works. Then we conduct planetary population synthesis
calculations to obtain a synthetic mass-radius diagram which we compare with
the observed one. Except for bloated Hot Jupiters which can be explained only
with additional mechanisms related to their proximity to the star, we find a
good agreement of the general shape of the observed and the synthetic
mass-radius diagram. This shape can be understood with basic concepts of the
core accretion model.Comment: Proceedings Haute Provence Observatory Colloquium: Detection and
Dynamics of Transiting Exoplanets (23-27 August 2010). Edited by F. Bouchy,
R. F. Diaz & C. Moutou. Extended version: 17 pages, 8 figure
Grain opacity and the bulk composition of extrasolar planets. I. Results from scaling the ISM opacity
The opacity due to grains in the envelope of a protoplanet regulates the
accretion rate of gas during formation, thus the final bulk composition of
planets with primordial H/He is a function of it. Observationally, for
exoplanets with known mass and radius it is possible to estimate the bulk
composition via internal structure models. We first determine the reduction
factor of the ISM grain opacity f_opa that leads to gas accretion rates
consistent with grain evolution models. We then compare the bulk composition of
synthetic low-mass and giant planets at different f_opa with observations. For
f_opa=1 (full ISM opacity) the synthetic low-mass planets have too small radii,
i.e., too low envelope masses compared to observations. At f_opa=0.003, the
value calibrated with the grain evolution models, synthetic and actual planets
occupy similar mass-radius loci. The mean enrichment of giant planets relative
to the host star as a function of planet mass M can be approximated as
Z_p/Z_star = beta*(M/M_Jup)^alpha. We find alpha=-0.7 independent of f_opa in
synthetic populations in agreement with the observational result (-0.71+-0.10).
The absolute enrichment level decreases from beta=8.5 at f_opa=1 to 3.5 at
f_opa=0. At f_opa=0.003 one finds beta=7.2 which is similar to the
observational result (6.3+-1.0). We thus find observational hints that the
opacity in protoplanetary atmospheres is much smaller than in the ISM even if
the specific value of the grain opacity cannot be constrained here. The result
for the enrichment of giant planets helps to distinguish core accretion and
gravitational instability. In the simplest picture of core accretion where
first a critical core forms and afterwards only gas is added, alpha=-1. If a
core accretes all planetesimals inside the feeding zone, alpha=-2/3. The
observational result lies between these values, pointing to core accretion as
the formation mechanism.Comment: 21 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for A&
The interplay between pebble and planetesimal accretion in population synthesis models and its role in giant planet formation
Context. In the core accretion scenario of planet formation, rocky cores grow by first accreting solids until they are massive enough to accrete gas. For giant planet formation, this means that a massive core must form within the lifetime of the gas disk. Inspired by observations of Solar System features such as the asteroid and Kuiper belts, the accretion of roughly kilometre-sized planetesimals is traditionally considered as the main accretion mechanism of solids but such models often result in longer planet formation timescales. The accretion of millimetre- to centimetre-sized pebbles, on the other hand, allows for rapid core growth within the disk lifetime. The two accretion mechanisms are typically discussed separately.
Aims. We investigate the interplay between the two accretion processes in a disk containing both pebbles and planetesimals for planet formation in general and in the context of giant planet formation specifically. The goal is to disentangle and understand the fundamental interactions that arise in such hybrid pebble-planetesimal models laying the groundwork for informed analysis of future, more complex, simulations.
Methods. We combined a simple model of pebble formation and accretion with a global model of planet formation which considers the accretion of planetesimals. We compared synthetic populations of planets formed in disks composed of different amounts of pebbles and 600 metre-sized planetesimals to identify the impact of the combined accretion scenario. On a system level, we studied the formation pathway of giant planets in these disks.
Results. We find that, in hybrid disks containing both pebbles and planetesimals, the formation of giant planets is strongly suppressed, whereas, in a pebbles-only or planetesimals-only scenario, giant planets can form. We identify the heating associated with the accretion of up to 100 kilometre-sized planetesimals after the pebble accretion period to delay the runaway gas accretion of massive cores. Coupled with strong inward type-I migration acting on these planets, this results in close-in icy sub-Neptunes originating from the outer disk.
Conclusions. We conclude that, in hybrid pebble-planetesimal scenarios, the late accretion of planetesimals is a critical factor in the giant planet formation process and that inward migration is more efficient for planets in increasingly pebble-dominated disks. We expect a reduced occurrence rate of giant planets in planet formation models that take the accretion of pebbles and planetesimals into account
Modeling the Jovian subnebula: I - Thermodynamical conditions and migration of proto-satellites
We have developed an evolutionary turbulent model of the Jovian subnebula
consistent with the extended core accretion formation models of Jupiter
described by Alibert et al. (2005b) and derived from Alibert et al.
(2004,2005a). This model takes into account the vertical structure of the
subnebula, as well as the evolution of the surface density as given by an
-disk model and is used to calculate the thermodynamical conditions in
the subdisk, for different values of the viscosity parameter. We show that the
Jovian subnebula evolves in two different phases during its lifetime. In the
first phase, the subnebula is fed through its outer edge by the solar nebula as
long as it has not been dissipated. In the second phase, the solar nebula has
disappeared and the Jovian subdisk expands and gradually clears with time as
Jupiter accretes the remaining material. We also demonstrate that early
generations of satellites formed during the beginning of the first phase of the
subnebula cannot survive in this environment and fall onto the proto-Jupiter.
As a result, these bodies may contribute to the enrichment of Jupiter in heavy
elements. Moreover, migration calculations in the Jovian subnebula allow us to
follow the evolution of the ices/rocks ratios in the proto-satellites as a
function of their migration pathways. By a tempting to reproduce the distance
distribution of the Galilean satellites, as well as their ices/rocks ratios, we
obtain some constraints on the viscosity parameter of the Jovian subnebula.Comment: Accepted in Astronomy and Astrohpysic
Global Models of Planet Formation and Evolution
Despite the increase in observational data on exoplanets, the processes that
lead to the formation of planets are still not well understood. But thanks to
the high number of known exoplanets, it is now possible to look at them as a
population that puts statistical constraints on theoretical models. A method
that uses these constraints is planetary population synthesis. Its key element
is a global model of planet formation and evolution that directly predicts
observable planetary properties based on properties of the natal protoplanetary
disk. To do so, global models build on many specialized models that address one
specific physical process. We thoroughly review the physics of the sub-models
included in global formation models. The sub-models can be classified as models
describing the protoplanetary disk (gas and solids), the (proto)planet (solid
core, gaseous envelope, and atmosphere), and finally the interactions
(migration and N-body interaction). We compare the approaches in different
global models and identify physical processes that require improved
descriptions in future. We then address important results of population
synthesis like the planetary mass function or the mass-radius relation. In
these results, the global effects of physical mechanisms occurring during
planet formation and evolution become apparent, and specialized models
describing them can be put to the observational test. Due to their nature as
meta models, global models depend on the development of the field of planet
formation theory as a whole. Because there are important uncertainties in this
theory, it is likely that global models will in future undergo significant
modifications. Despite this, they can already now yield many testable
predictions. With future global models addressing the geophysical
characteristics, it should eventually become possible to make predictions about
the habitability of planets.Comment: 30 pages, 16 figures. Accepted for publication in the International
Journal of Astrobiology (Cambridge University Press
Impacts of planet migration models on planetary populations. Effects of saturation, cooling and stellar irradiation
Context: Several recent studies have found that planet migration in adiabatic
discs differs significantly from migration in isothermal discs. Depending on
the thermodynamic conditions, i.e., the effectiveness of radiative cooling, and
the radial surface density profile, planets migrate inward or outward. Clearly,
this will influence the semimajor axis - mass distribution of planets as
predicted by population synthesis simulations. Aims: Our goal is to study the
global effects of radiative cooling, viscous torque desaturation and gap
opening as well as stellar irradiation on the tidal migration of a synthetic
planet population. Methods: We combine results from several analytical studies
and 3D hydrodynamic simulations in a new semi-analytical migration model for
the application in our planet population synthesis calculations. Results: We
find a good agreement of our model with torques obtained in a 3D radiative
hydrodynamic simulations. We find three convergence zones in a typical disc,
towards which planets migrate from the in- and outside, affecting strongly the
migration behavior of low-mass planets. Interestingly, this leads to slow type
II like migration behavior for low-mass planets captured in those zones even
without an ad hoc migration rate reduction factor or a yet to be defined
halting mechanism. This means that the new prescription of migration including
non-isothermal effects makes the preciously widely used artificial migration
rate reduction factor obsolete. Conclusions: Outward migration in parts of a
disc makes some planets survive long enough to become massive. The convergence
zones lead to a potentially observable accumulations of low-mass planets at
certain semimajor axes. Our results indicate that further studies of the mass
where the corotation torque saturates will be needed since its value has a
major impact on the properties of planet populations.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures. Accepted for A&
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