A formation pathway for giant planets in S-type discs of {\gamma}-Cephei-like compact binaries

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that sustained mass inflow from a circumbinary disc can prolong the circumprimary disc's lifetime and enable giant planet formation in close binary systems like $\gamma$-Cephei, despite strong photoevaporation.

Contribution

It introduces a coupled evolution model showing how continuous mass transfer can facilitate giant planet formation in truncated discs of binary systems.

Findings

Mass inflow significantly extends disc lifetime under strong mass loss.

Solid transfer increases planetary growth potential.

Planets can reach several Jupiter masses with sustained mass transfer.

Abstract

Planet formation in close binary systems such as $\gamma$-Cephei is strongly challenged by the truncation of the circumprimary disc induced by the stellar companion, which limits the available reservoir of gas and solids. Recent hydrodynamical studies suggest that a long-lived circumbinary disc may replenish the circumprimary disc with gas and dust, extending its lifetime and potentially enabling giant planet formation. However, the long-term evolution of such systems under viscous accretion and X-ray photoevaporation, and their coupling with planet formation, remains largely unexplored. We investigate whether sustained mass inflow from a circumbinary reservoir can prolong the lifetime of circumprimary discs and facilitate gas giant formation in $\gamma$-Cephei-like binaries, even in the presence of strong photoevaporation. Using our code PLANETALP-B, we model the coupled evolution of gas, dust growth, and in-situ planet formation by pebble and gas accretion, including viscous accretion, X-ray photoevaporation, and continuous mass injection. Gas inflow can significantly extend the lifetime of the circumprimary disc, even under strong mass loss. When solids are also transferred, the lifetime of the solid disc increases, enhancing planetary growth. As a result, planets can reach several Jupiter masses, unlike scenarios without mass replenishment. We show that sustained mass transfer from a circumbinary disc can enable giant planet formation in $\gamma$-Cephei-like binaries, providing a viable pathway to overcome disc truncation, although its applicability to other systems remains to be tested with dedicated hydrodynamical simulations.