sponchpop: Population synthesis to investigate volatile sulfur as a fingerprint of gas giant formation histories

TL;DR

This study introduces a new model for planet population synthesis that includes sulfur's volatile and refractory phases, revealing sulfur's potential as a diagnostic for planet formation history and composition.

Contribution

It implements the first multi-phase treatment of sulfur in a planet formation model, expanding the understanding of sulfur's role in planetary composition and formation processes.

Findings

Planets can inherit diverse sulfur contents depending on formation environment.

Some rocky planets may be born sulfur-poor, affecting their geochemistry.

Enhanced sulfur in gas giants can result from formation beyond the H2S iceline.

Abstract

Planet population synthesis is an integral tool for linking exoplanets to their formation environments. Most planet population synthesis studies have focused on the carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) in gas or solids, yet more insight into planet formation may be afforded by considering a wider suite of elements. Sulfur is one such key element. It has been assumed to be entirely refractory in population synthesis models, restricting it to being a tracer of accreted rocky solids. However, sulfur also has a volatile reservoir dominant at the onset of star and planet formation, which is then converted into refractories. We investigate sulfur's wider potential as a formation history tracer by implementing a gas-grain chemical conversion, the first multi-phase treatment of S in a planet population synthesis model. We also present the planet formation module of SPONCHPOP and its first predicted planet growth tracks and populations. We apply these to explore the diversity of the planetary sulfur budget. We show that planets can inherit a wide range of core and envelope sulfur content, depending on their formation environment and accretion history including late-stage infall, demonstrating sulfur's new potential as a diagnostic tool for planet formation. Our models predict that some rocky planets are born sulfur-poor, which may have significant implications for their geochemistry and habitability. Enhanced sulfur abundances in gas-giant atmospheres, such as in our solar system, may result not only from accretion of rocky planetesimals, but also from formation beyond the H2S iceline.