Eccentricity Trap: Trapping of Resonantly Interacting Planets near the Disk Inner Edge

TL;DR

This paper introduces the 'eccentricity trap,' a new mechanism that halts planetary migration near disk edges through resonant interactions and eccentricity damping, explaining the formation of close-in super-Earth systems.

Contribution

The study presents a novel eccentricity trap mechanism, combining orbital simulations and analytical formulas, to explain how multiple planets can be halted near disk edges.

Findings

Multiple planets can be trapped outside the disk edge.

The mechanism can explain non-resonant super-Earth systems.

Predicted trapping of several planets in protoplanetary disks.

Abstract

Using orbital integration and analytical arguments, we have found a new mechanism (an "eccentricity trap") to halt type I migration of planets near the inner edge of a protoplanetary disk. Because asymmetric eccentricity damping due to disk-planet interaction on the innermost planet at the disk edge plays a crucial role in the trap, this mechanism requires continuous eccentricity excitation and hence works for a resonantly interacting convoy of planets. This trap is so strong that the edge torque exerted on the innermost planet can completely halt type I migrations of many outer planets through mutual resonant perturbations. Consequently, the convoy stays outside the disk edge, as a whole. We have derived semi-analytical formula for the condition for the eccentricity trap and predict how many planets are likely to be trapped. We found that several planets or more should be trapped by this mechanism in protoplanetary disks that have cavities. It can be responsible for the formation of non-resonant, multiple, close-in super-Earth systems extending beyond 0.1AU. Such systems are being revealed by radial velocity observations to be quite common around solar-type stars.