Planet-Disk Interactions

TL;DR

This paper reviews how massive planets interact gravitationally with protoplanetary disks, affecting both disk structure and planetary orbits, with recent advances in modeling and observations.

Contribution

It summarizes recent progress in understanding planet-disk interactions across various planet masses and disk conditions, including turbulence effects and observational signatures.

Findings

Formation of gaps due to spiral density waves.

Orbital migration influenced by disk-planet interactions.

Observable signatures of embedded planets in disks.

Abstract

Planet-disk interactions, where an embedded massive body interacts gravitationally with the protoplanetary disk it was formed in, can play an important role in reshaping both the disk and the orbit of the planet. Spiral density waves are launched into the disk by the planet, which, if they are strong enough, can lead to the formation of a gap. Both effects are observable with current instruments. The back-reaction of perturbations induced in the disk, both wave-like and non-wavelike, is a change in orbital elements of the planet. The efficiency of orbital migration is a long-standing problem in planet formation theory. We discuss recent progress in planet-disk interactions for different planet masses and disk parameters, in particular the level of turbulence, and progress in modeling observational signatures of embedded planets.