The Heavy Element Composition of Disk Instability Planets Can Range From Sub- to Super-Nebular

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that gas giants formed via disk instability can have a wide range of heavy element compositions, challenging the assumption that they are always of nebular composition.

Contribution

It shows that disk instability planets can be highly enriched in heavy elements through various mechanisms, broadening the understanding of planetary composition diversity.

Findings

Disk instability planets can have sub- to super-nebular heavy element enrichment.

Enrichment mechanisms include birth, planetesimal capture, and tidal stripping.

Heavy element content does not distinguish formation mode.

Abstract

Transit surveys combined with Doppler data have revealed a class of gas giant planets that are massive and highly enriched in heavy elements (e.g., HD149026b, GJ436b, and HAT-P-20b). It is tempting to consider these planets as validation of core accretion plus gas capture because it is often assumed that disk instability planets should be of nebular composition. We show in this paper, to the contrary, that gas giants that form by disk instability can have a variety of heavy element compositions, ranging from sub- to super-nebular values. High levels of enrichment can be achieved through one or multiple mechanisms, including enrichment at birth, planetesimal capture, and differentiation plus tidal stripping. As a result, the metallicity of an individual gas giant cannot be used to discriminate between gas giant formation modes.