# Prevalent externally-driven protoplanetary disc dispersal as a function of the galactic environment

## TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework to quantify how galactic environment factors like FUV flux and stellar density influence the dispersal timescales of protoplanetary discs, impacting planet formation potential.

## Contribution

It introduces the first model linking galactic environmental parameters to protoplanetary disc dispersal timescales, with applications to the Milky Way's central region.

## Key findings

- External photoevaporation dominates disc dispersal in dense environments.
- 90% of discs in the Central Molecular Zone are destroyed within 1 Myr.
- Discs around low-mass stars are more susceptible to FUV-driven dispersal.

## Abstract

The stellar birth environment can significantly shorten protoplanetary disc (PPD) lifetimes due to the influence of stellar feedback mechanisms. The degree to which these mechanisms suppress the time and mass available for planet formation is dependent on the local far-ultraviolet (FUV) field strength, stellar density, and ISM properties. In this work, we present the first theoretical framework quantifying the distribution of PPD dispersal time-scales as a function of parameters that describe the galactic environment. We calculate the probability density function for FUV flux and stellar density in the solar neighbourhood. In agreement with previous studies, we find that external photoevaporation is the dominant environment-related factor influencing local stellar populations after the embedded phase. Applying our general prescription to the Central Molecular Zone of the Milky Way (i.e. the central ~250 pc), we predict that 90% of PPDs in the region are destroyed within 1 Myr of the dispersal of the parent molecular cloud. Even in such dense environments, we find that external photoevaporation is the dominant disc depletion mechanism over dynamical encounters between stars. PPDs around low-mass stars are particularly sensitive to FUV-induced mass loss, due to a shallower gravitational potential. For stars of mass ~1 $M_\odot$, the solar neighbourhood lies at approximately the highest gas surface density for which PPD dispersal is still relatively unaffected by external FUV photons, with a median PPD dispersal timescale of ~4 Myr. We highlight the key questions to be addressed to further contextualise the significance of the local galactic environment for planet formation.