Planetesimal Accretion in Binary Systems: Role of the Companion's Orbital Inclination

TL;DR

This study investigates how small binary orbital inclinations influence planetesimal accretion in close binary systems, suggesting that even slight inclinations can promote planet formation by reducing impact velocities and favoring accretion.

Contribution

It extends previous 2D models by including 3D gas disks and inclined binary orbits, revealing new mechanisms that facilitate planetesimal growth in close binaries.

Findings

Inclined binary orbits lead to differential orbital phasing in 3D.

Impact rates decrease and impacts occur mainly between similar-sized bodies.

Accretion is more likely with small binary inclinations, extending the possible accretion zone to 2 AU.

Abstract

Recent observations show that planet can reside in close binary systems with stellar separation of only about 20 AU. However, planet formation in such close binary systems is a challenge to current theory. One of the major theoretical problems occurs in the intermediate stage-planetesimals accretion into planetary embryos-during which the companion's perturbations can stir up the relative velocites(dV) of planetesimals and thus slow down or even cease their growth. However, all previous studies assumed a 2-dimentional (2D) disk and a coplanar binary orbit. Extending previous studies by including a 3D gas disk and an inclined binary orbit with small relative inclination of i_B=0.1-5 deg, we numerically investigate the conditions for planetesimal accretion at 1-2 AU, an extension of the habitable zone(1-1.3 AU), around alpha Centauri A in this paper. Inclusion of the binary inclination leads to: (1) differential orbital phasing is realized in the 3D space, and thus different-sized bodies are separated from each other; (2) total impact rate becomes lower, and impacts mainly occur between similar-sized bodies; (3) accretion is more favored, but the balance between accretion and erosion remains uncertain, and the "possible accretion region" extends up to 2AU when assuming an optimistic Q*(critical specific energy that leads to catastrophic fragmentation); and (4) impact velocities (dV) are significantly reduced but still much larger than their escape velocities, which infers that planetesimals grow by means of type II runaway mode. As a conclusion, inclusion of a small binary inclination is a promising mechanism that favors accretion, opening a possibility that planet formation in close binary systems can go through the difficult stage of planetesimals accretion into planetary embryos.