The impact of disc photoevaporation on the long-term evolution of giant planets in mean motion resonances

TL;DR

This study uses hydrodynamical simulations to show that disc photoevaporation can either stabilize or destabilize giant planet resonances, significantly affecting their long-term orbital evolution and eccentricities.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of how photoevaporation influences resonance stability in giant planet pairs through comprehensive hydrodynamical modeling.

Findings

Photoevaporation depletes gas in the gap, stabilizing 3:2 resonances.

High disc mass and photoevaporation can destabilize 2:1 resonances.

Photoevaporation generally increases planetary eccentricities.

Abstract

We investigate the long-term impact of disc photoevaporation on the dynamical stability and evolution of giant planet pairs in mean motion resonances. Using two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with FARGO3D, in which we have included mass-loss due to photoevaporation, we explore a parameter space covering disc mass, viscosity, planet mass, and resonance type. We find that strong photoevaporation depletes gas in the common gap between the planets, slowing migration and suppressing planet-disc interactions that typically lead to resonance breaking and eccentricity damping. This stabilising effect is most significant for 3:2 resonances, which are more prone to disruption due to the reduced planet spacing. In contrast, 2:1 resonances are generally more robust but can still be destabilised at high disc mass and moderate-to-strong photoevaporation due to asymmetric torques. Photoevaporation can therefore stabilise resonances that would otherwise break, or conversely disrupt resonances that are natively more stable. Even in cases where photoevaporation does not directly affect resonance stability, it typically results in increased planetary eccentricities. These results highlight the complex, system-dependent nature of resonance evolution, with implications for the final orbital architectures of giant planet systems and their detectability via astrometry from missions such as Gaia.