Inward Migration of the TRAPPIST-1 Planets as Inferred From Their Water-Rich Compositions

TL;DR

This study uses mass-radius-composition models to infer that TRAPPIST-1 planets f and g likely formed outside the snow line with high water content, while b and c formed inside, revealing inward migration patterns.

Contribution

It introduces a new framework linking water-rich compositions to formation locations and migration history of TRAPPIST-1 planets, highlighting their water content and formation timeline.

Findings

TRAPPIST-1f and g contain ≥50% water/ice by weight.

TRAPPIST-1b and c are significantly drier, ≤15% water.

Migration depends on formation speed and snow line position.

Abstract

Multiple planet systems provide an ideal laboratory for probing exoplanet composition, formation history and potential habitability. For the TRAPPIST-1 planets, the planetary radii are well established from transits (Gillon et al., 2016, Gillon et al., 2017), with reasonable mass estimates coming from transit timing variations (Gillon et al., 2017, Wang et al., 2017) and dynamical modeling (Quarles et al., 2017). The low bulk densities of the TRAPPIST-1 planets demand significant volatile content. Here we show using mass-radius-composition models, that TRAPPIST-1f and g likely contain substantial ($\geq50$ wt\%) water/ice, with b and c being significantly drier ($\leq15$ wt\%). We propose this gradient of water mass fractions implies planets f and g formed outside the primordial snow line whereas b and c formed inside. We find that compared to planets in our solar system that also formed within the snow line, TRAPPIST-1b and c contain hundreds more oceans worth of water. We demonstrate the extent and timescale of migration in the TRAPPIST-1 system depends on how rapidly the planets formed and the relative location of the primordial snow line. This work provides a framework for understanding the differences between the protoplanetary disks of our solar system versus M dwarfs. Our results provide key insights into the volatile budgets, timescales of planet formation, and migration history of likely the most common planetary host in the Galaxy.