Terrestrial planet formation in low eccentricity warm-Jupiter systems

TL;DR

This study investigates how giant planet migration influences the formation of inner terrestrial planets, finding that terrestrial building blocks often survive and habitable planets could form in low eccentricity warm-Jupiter systems.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive N-body and gas disk simulation approach to analyze terrestrial planet formation amid giant planet migration, highlighting conditions favoring habitable planet development.

Findings

Most planetary building blocks survive giant planet passage.

Systems of hot-Earths are likely to form interior to the giant.

Habitable planets can form if the giant's migration is limited.

Abstract

We examine the effect of giant planet migration on the formation of inner terrestrial planet systems. We consider situations in which the giant planet halts migration at semi-major axes in the range 0.13 - 1.7 AU due to gas disk dispersal. An N-body code is employed that is linked to a viscous gas disk algorithm capable of simulating: gas loss via accretion onto the central star and photoevaporation; gap formation by the giant planet; type II migration of the giant; optional type I migration of protoplanets; gas drag on planetesimals. We find that most of the inner system planetary building blocks survive the passage of the giant planet, either by being shepherded inward or scattered into exterior orbits. Systems of one or more hot-Earths are predicted to form and remain interior to the giant planet, especially if type II migration has been limited, or where type I migration has affected protoplanetary dynamics. Habitable planets in low eccentricity warm-Jupiter systems appear possible if the giant planet makes a limited incursion into the outer regions of the habitable zone (HZ), or traverses its entire width and ceases migrating at a radial distance of less than half that of the HZ's inner edge. We conclude that Type II migration does not prevent terrestrial planet formation.