English

On the formation of terrestrial planets in hot-Jupiter systems

Astrophysics 2008-11-26 v1

Abstract

We present a series of calculations aimed at examining how an inner system of planetesimals/protoplanets, undergoing terrestrial planet formation, evolves under the influence of a giant planet undergoing inward type II migration through the region bounded between 5 - 0.1 AU. We find that > 60% of the solids disk survives by being scattered by the giant planet into external orbits. Planetesimals are scattered outward almost as efficiently as protoplanets, resulting in the regeneration of a solids disk where dynamical friction is strong and terrestrial planet formation is able to resume. A simulation extended for a few Myr after the migration of the giant planet halted at 0.1 AU, resulted in an apparently stable planet of ~ 2 Earth masses forming in the habitable zone. Migration-induced mixing of volatile-rich material from beyond the `snowline' into the inner disk regions means that terrestrial planets that form there are likely to be water-rich. We predict that hot--Jupiter systems are likely to harbor water-rich terrestrial planets in their habitable zones. These planets may be detected by future planet search missions.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0610314,
  title  = {On the formation of terrestrial planets in hot-Jupiter systems},
  author = {Martyn J. Fogg and Richard P. Nelson},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0610314},
  year   = {2008}
}

Comments

18 pages, 13 figures. Higher resolution pdf available at http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~mfogg/fogg_nelson2.pdf