Related papers: Massive planets in FU Orionis discs: implications …
Pairs of extrasolar giant planets in a mean motion commensurability are common with 2:1 resonance occurring most frequently. Disc-planet interaction provides a mechanism for their origin. However, the time scale on which this could operate…
We present models in which the photoevaporation of discs around young stars by an external ultraviolet source (as computed by Adams et al 2004) is coupled with the internal viscous evolution of the discs. These models are applied to the…
Low-mass protostars may accrete most of their material through short-lived episodes of rapid disk accretion; yet until recently evolutionary tracks for these protostars assumed only constant or slowly-varying accretion. Important initial…
The evolution of protoplanetary discs embedded in stellar clusters depends on the age and the stellar density in which they are embedded. Stellar clusters of young age and high stellar surface density destroy protoplanetary discs by…
There have been many proposed explanations for the larger-than-expected radii of some transiting hot Jupiters, including either stellar or orbital energy deposition deep in the atmosphere or deep in the interior. In this paper, we explore…
Photo-evaporation and planet formation have both been proposed as mechanisms responsible for the creation of a transition disc. We have studied their combined effect through a suite of 2d simulations of protoplanetary discs undergoing X-ray…
A golden age of interferometry is upon us, allowing observations at smaller scales in greater detail than ever before. In few fields has this had the huge impact as that of planet formation and the study of young stars. State of the art…
We carry out global three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamical simulations of self-gravitating accretion discs to determine if, and under what conditions, a disc may fragment to form giant planets. We explore the parameter space (in terms…
Both core accretion and disk instability appear to be required as formation mechanisms in order to explain the entire range of giant planets found in extrasolar planetary systems. Disk instability is based on the formation of clumps in a…
The radial transport, or drift, of dust has taken a critical role in giant planet formation theory. However, it has been challenging to identify dust drift pile ups in the hard-to-observe inner disk. We find that the IM Lup disk shows…
Context: The brightness of FUors increases by several magnitudes within one to several years. The currently favoured explanation for this brightness boost is that of dramatically rising accretion from the disc material around a young star.…
Most stars are born in clusters and the resulting gravitational interactions between cluster members may significantly affect the evolution of circumstellar discs and therefore the formation of planets and brown dwarfs. Recent findings…
The inner edge of the dead zone in protoplanetary disks has been shown to periodically go unstable, leading to accretion outbursts and annular substructure within the dead zone. While dust opacities play a key role in this process, the…
The formation of gas giant planets must occur during the first few Myr of a star's lifetime, when the protoplanetary disc still contains sufficient gas to be accreted onto the planetary core. The majority of protoplanetary discs are exposed…
Observations of massive stars within the central parsec of the Galaxy show that, while most stars orbit within a well-defined disc, a significant fraction have large eccentricities and / or inclinations with respect to the disc plane. Here,…
We review our current knowledge of thermal and viscous instabilities in accretion discs around compact objects. We begin with classical disc models based on analytic viscosity prescriptions, discussing physical uncertainties and exploring…
Planetary systems are born in the disks of gas, dust and rocky fragments that surround newly formed stars. Solid content assembles into ever-larger rocky fragments that eventually become planetary embryos. These then continue their growth…
Planets orbiting a planetesimal circumstellar disc can migrate inward from their initial positions because of dynamical friction between planets and planetesimals. The migration rate depends on the disc mass and on its time evolution.…
The formation of planets is one of the major unsolved problems in modern astrophysics. Planets are believed to form out of the material in circumstellar disks known to exist around young stars, and which are a by-product of the star…
Optical and infrared surveys have detected increasing numbers of disc accretion outbursts in young stars. Some models of these FU Ori-type events predict that the outburst should start at near- to mid-infrared wavelengths before an optical…