Planet-Driven Scatterings of Planetesimals Into a Star: Probability, Timescale and Applications

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the likelihood and timescales of planetesimals being scattered into a star by a planet, providing new analytical formulas and simulations to understand star-grazing events and their implications.

Contribution

It introduces a generalized analytical expression for minimum approach distance considering eccentricity and mass, and uses simulations to explore outcomes of planetesimal scatterings in one-planet systems.

Findings

Derived a new formula for minimum approach distance with eccentricity and mass effects.

Identified key parameters governing scattering outcomes.

Applied results to star pollution and planetary system evolution scenarios.

Abstract

A planetary system can undergo multiple episodes of intense dynamical activities throughout its life, resulting in the production of star-grazing planetesimals (or exocomets) and pollution of the host star. Such activity is especially pronounced when giant planets interact with other small bodies during the system's evolution. However, due to the chaotic nature of the dynamics, it is difficult to determine the properties of the perturbing planet(s) from the observed planetesimal-disruption activities. In this study, we examine the outcomes of planetesimal-planet scatterings in a general setting. We focus on one-planet systems, and determine the likelihood and timescale of planetesimal disruption by the host star as a function of the planet properties. We obtain a new analytical expression for the minimum distance a scattering body can reach, extending previous results by considering finite planet eccentricity and non-zero planetesimal mass. Through N-body simulations, we derive the distribution of minimum distances and the likelihood and timescales of three possible outcomes of planetesimal-planet scatterings: collision with the planet, ejection, and disruption by the star. For planetesimals with negligible mass, we identify four defining dimensionless parameters (the planet eccentricity, planet-to-star mass ratio, planet radius to semi-major axis ratio, and the stellar disruption radius to planet semi-major axis ratio) that enable us to scale the problem and generalize our findings to a wide range of orbital configurations. Using these results, we explore three applications: falling evaporating bodies in the beta Pictoris system, white dwarf pollution due to planetesimal disruption and planet engulfment by main-sequence stars.