Rapid-then-slow migration reproduces mass distribution of TRAPPIST-1 system

TL;DR

This study uses N-body simulations with a gas disk model incorporating disk winds to show that a rapid-then-slow migration process can reproduce the unique mass distribution of the TRAPPIST-1 system, explaining its large inner planets and increasing outer planet masses.

Contribution

It introduces a planet formation model with a migration transition driven by disk winds, successfully reproducing TRAPPIST-1's mass distribution features.

Findings

Inner planets grow larger due to rapid migration and coalescence near the disk edge.

Outer planets migrate more slowly, maintaining increasing mass with orbital distance.

The model naturally explains the reversed mass ranking observed in TRAPPIST-1.

Abstract

The TRAPPIST-1 system is an iconic planetary system in various aspects (e.g., habitability, resonant relation, and multiplicity) and hence has attracted considerable attention. The mass distribution of the TRAPPIST-1 planets is characterized by two features: the two inner planets are large, and the masses of the four planets in the outer orbit increase with orbital distance. The origin of these features cannot be explained by previous formation models. We investigate whether the mass distribution of the TRAPPIST-1 system can be reproduced by a planet formation model using N-body simulations. We used a gas disk evolution model around a low-mass star constructed by considering disk winds and followed the growth and orbital migration from planetary embryos with the isolation mass, which increases with orbital distance. As a result, we find that from the initial phase, planets in inner orbits undergo rapid orbital migration, and the coalescence growth near the inner disk edge is enhanced. This allows the inner planets to grow larger. Meanwhile, compared with the inner planets, planets in outer orbits migrate more slowly and do not frequently collide with neighboring planets. Therefore, the trend of increasing mass toward the outer orbit, called reversed mass ranking, is maintained. The final mass distribution approximately agrees with the two features of the mass distribution in the TRAPPIST-1 system. We discover that the mass distribution in the TRAPPIST-1 system can be reproduced when embryos experience rapid migration and become trapped near the disk inner edge, and then more massive embryos undergo slower migration. This migration transition can be achieved naturally in a disk evolution model with disk winds.