Formation of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes from rings of planetesimals

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Shibata, Sho, Izidoro, Andre
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Shibata, Sho
Izidoro, Andre
author_facet Shibata, Sho
Izidoro, Andre
contents The solar system planetary architecture has been proposed to be consistent with the terrestrial and giant planets forming from material rings at ~1 au and ~5 au, respectively. Here, we show that super-Earths and mini-Neptunes may share a similar formation pathway. In our simulations conducted with a disk alpha-viscosity of 4e-3, super-Earths accrete from rings of rocky material in the inner disk, growing predominantly via planetesimal accretion. Mini-Neptunes primarily originate from rings located beyond the water snowline, forming via pebble accretion. Our simulations broadly match the period-ratio distribution, the intra-system size uniformity, and the planet multiplicity distribution of exoplanets. The radius valley constrains the typical total mass available for rocky planet formation to be less than 3-6 Earth masses. Our results predict that planets at ~1 au in systems with close-in super-Earths and mini-Neptunes are predominantly water-rich. Though relatively uncommon, at ~1% level, such systems might also host rocky Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone that underwent late giant impacts, akin to the Moon-forming event.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_03345
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Formation of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes from rings of planetesimals
Shibata, Sho
Izidoro, Andre
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
The solar system planetary architecture has been proposed to be consistent with the terrestrial and giant planets forming from material rings at ~1 au and ~5 au, respectively. Here, we show that super-Earths and mini-Neptunes may share a similar formation pathway. In our simulations conducted with a disk alpha-viscosity of 4e-3, super-Earths accrete from rings of rocky material in the inner disk, growing predominantly via planetesimal accretion. Mini-Neptunes primarily originate from rings located beyond the water snowline, forming via pebble accretion. Our simulations broadly match the period-ratio distribution, the intra-system size uniformity, and the planet multiplicity distribution of exoplanets. The radius valley constrains the typical total mass available for rocky planet formation to be less than 3-6 Earth masses. Our results predict that planets at ~1 au in systems with close-in super-Earths and mini-Neptunes are predominantly water-rich. Though relatively uncommon, at ~1% level, such systems might also host rocky Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone that underwent late giant impacts, akin to the Moon-forming event.
title Formation of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes from rings of planetesimals
topic Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.03345