Global models of planetary system formation in radiatively-inefficient protoplanetary discs

TL;DR

This study uses N-body simulations to explore how radiatively-inefficient protoplanetary discs influence planetary system formation, highlighting the roles of corotation torques and migration in forming diverse planetary architectures.

Contribution

It introduces a modified Mercury-6 integrator to simulate planet formation considering corotation torques, gas effects, and disc dispersal, revealing conditions for gas giant formation at various distances.

Findings

Approximately half of simulations produce gas giants.

Corotation torques can promote outward migration and core growth.

Eccentricity excitation may suppress outward migration.

Abstract

(Abridged) We present the results of N-body simulations of planetary systems formation in radiatively-inefficient disc models, where positive corotation torques may counter the rapid inward migration of low mass planets driven by Lindblad torques. The aim of this work is to examine the nature of planetary systems that arise from oligarchic growth in such discs. We adapt the commonly-used Mercury-6 symplectic integrator by including simple prescriptions for planetary migration (types I and II), planetary atmospheres that enhance the probability of planetesimal accretion by protoplanets, gas accretion onto forming planetary cores, and gas disc dispersal. We perform a suite of simulations for a variety of disc models with power-law surface density and tempera- ture profiles, with a focus on models in which unsaturated corotation torques can drive outward migration of protoplanets. In some models we account for the quenching of corotation torques that arises when planetary orbits become eccentric. Approximately half of our simulations lead to the successful formation of gas giant planets with a broad range of masses and semimajor axes. We conclude that convergent migration induced by corotation torques operating during planet formation can enhance the growth rate of planetary cores, but these often migrate into the central star because corotation torques saturate. Outward migration of planetary cores of modest mass can lead to the formation of gas giant planets at large distances from the central star, similar to those observed recently through direct imaging surveys. The excitation of planetary eccentricities through planet-planet scat- tering during oligarchic growth may quench the effects of corotation torques, however, such that inward migration is driven by Lindblad torques.