The tidal downsizing hypothesis of planet formation

Dawes Review. The tidal downsizing hypothesis of planet formation

Author:

Nayakshin

Abstract:

Tidal Downsizing is the modern version of the Kuiper (1951) scenario of planet formation. Detailed simulations of self-gravitating discs, gas fragments, dust grain dynamics, and planet evolutionary calculations are summarised here and used to build a predictive planet formation model and population synthesis. A new interpretation of exoplanetary and debris disc data, the Solar System's origins, and the links between planets and brown dwarfs is offered. This interpretation is contrasted with the current observations and the predictions of the Core Accretion theory. Observations that can distinguish the two scenarios are pointed out. In particular, Tidal Downsizing predicts that presence of debris discs, sub-Neptune mass planets, planets more massive than ∼5~Jupiter masses and brown dwarfs should not correlate strongly with the metallicity of the host. For gas giants of ∼ Saturn to a few Jupiter mass, a strong host star metallicity correlation is predicted only inwards of a few AU from the host. Composition of massive cores is predicted to be dominated by rock rather than ices. Debris discs made by Tidal Downsizing are distinct from those made by Core Accretion at birth: they have an innermost edge always larger than about 1 au, have smaller total masses and are usually in a dynamically excited state. It is argued that planet formation in surprisingly young or very dynamic systems such as HL Tau and Kepler-444 may be a signature of Tidal Downsizing. Open questions and potential weaknesses of the hypothesis are pointed out.

Destructive Feedback in ExoPlanets

Tidal Downsizing Model. IV. Destructive feedback in planets

Author:

Nayakshin

Abstract:

I argue that feedback is as important to formation of planets as it is to formation of stars and galaxies. Energy released by massive solid cores puffs up pre-collapse gas giant planets, making them vulnerable to tidal disruptions by their host stars. I find that feedback is the ultimate reason for some of the most robust properties of the observed exoplanet populations: the rarity of gas giants at all separations from ∼0.1 to ∼100~AU, the abundance of ∼10M⊕ cores but dearth of planets more massive than ∼20M⊕. Feedback effects can also explain (i) rapid assembly of massive cores at large separations as needed for Uranus, Neptune and the suspected HL Tau planets; (ii) the small core in Jupiter yet large cores in Uranus and Neptune; (iii) the existence of rare "metal monster" planets such as CoRoT-20b, a gas giant made of heavy elements by up to ∼50\%.

Modeling the Tidal Downsizing Planetary Formation Hypothesis

Tidal Downsizing Model. III. Planets from sub-Earths to Brown Dwarfs: structure and metallicity preferences

Authors:

Nayakshin et al

Abstract:

We present improved population synthesis calculations in the context of the Tidal Downsizing (TD) hypothesis for planet formation. Our models provide natural explanations and/or quantitative match to exoplanet observations in the following categories: (i) most abundant planets being super-Earths; (ii) cores more massive than ∼5−15M⊕ are enveloped by massive metal-rich atmospheres; (iii) the frequency of occurrence of close-in gas giant planets correlates strongly with metallicity of the host star; (iv) no such correlation is found for sub-Neptune planets; (v) presence of massive cores in giant planets; (vi) the composition of gas giant planets is over-abundant in metals compared to their host stars; (vii) this over-abundance decreases with planet's mass, as observed; (viii) a deep valley in the planet mass function between masses of ∼10−20M⊕ and ∼100M⊕. We provide a number of observational predictions distinguishing the model from Core Accretion: (a) composition of the massive cores is dominated by rocks not ices; (b) the core mass function is smooth with no minimum at ∼3M⊕ and a rollover (rather than rise) below ∼1M⊕; (c) gas giants beyond 10 AU are insensitive to the host star metallicity. Objects more massive than ∼10MJup do not correlate or even anti-correlate with metallicity of the host star, which is consistent with observations showing that brown dwarf/ low mass stellar companions do not correlate/anti-correlate with metallicity of the primary star. One mismatch of the model and exoplanet observations is in the ratio of directly imaged to close-in giant planets, which is a factor ∼10 too high. This however may well be a deficiency of the simple disc model we use. We conclude that TD model is a viable alternative to CA in explaining the observed population of exoplanets

Gas Giant Formation Through Tidal Downsizing

Tidal Downsizing model. II. Planet-metallicity correlations

Authors:

Nayakshin

Abstract:

Core Accretion (CA), the de-facto accepted theory of planet formation, requires formation of massive solid cores as a prerequisite for assembly of gas giant planets. The observed metallicity correlations of exoplanets are puzzling in the context of CA. While gas giant planets are found preferentially around metal-rich host stars, planets smaller than Neptune orbit hosts with a wide range of metallicities. We propose an alternative interpretation of these observations in the framework of a recently developed planet formation hypothesis called Tidal Downsizing (TD). We perform population synthesis calculations based on TD, and find that the connection between the populations of the gas giant and the smaller solid-core dominated planets is non linear and not even monotonic. While gas giant planets formed in the simulations in the inner few AU region follow a strong positive correlation with the host star metallicity, the smaller planets do not. The simulated population of these smaller planets shows a shallow peak in their formation efficiency at around the Solar metallicity. This result is driven by the fact that at low metallicities the solid core's growth is damped by the scarcity of metals, whereas at high metallicities the fragments within which the cores grow contract too quickly, cutting the core's growth time window short. Finally, simulated giant gas planets do not show a strong host star metallicity preference at large separations, which may explain why one of the best known directly imaged gas giant planet systems, HR 8799, is metal poor.