New migration patterns in high planet-star mass ratio systems in disks with low viscosity
Abstract
Migration of giant planets remains a complex topic. While significant progress has been made for high-viscosity disks, the migration of planets with large planet-star mass ratios in low-viscosity environments is still not fully understood. We study the migration of such planets in disks with and derive analytical prescriptions applicable across stellar masses, from Sun-like stars to M dwarfs. Using hydrodynamical simulations with FARGO3D, we explored planets with mass ratios under different disk conditions, varying gas surface density, scale height, and density slope. Our results show a migration reversal at , with outward migration for . For planets undergoing outward migration, the migration speed depends on the unperturbed local gas density. In most cases, outward migration is sustained by a positive torque related to planetary eccentricities below . However, for certain disk parameters, planets with reach higher eccentricities (), leading to stalled migration. Our findings suggest that outward migration is a viable mechanism for massive planets in low-viscosity disks, which has implications for the formation and distribution of super-Jupiter planets around Sun-like stars and planets more massive than Neptune around very low-mass stars. Given the challenges in detecting such planets, improving our theoretical understanding of their migration is essential for interpreting exoplanet demographics and guiding future observational efforts.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2509.15719,
title = {New migration patterns in high planet-star mass ratio systems in disks with low viscosity},
author = {Mariana Sánchez and Sijme-Jan Paardekooper and Nienke van der Marel and Pablo Benítez-Llambay and Gijs D. Mulders},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.15719},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
14 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&A