Formation of Free-floating Planetary Mass Objects Via Circumstellar Disk Encounters
The origin of planetary mass objects (PMOs) wandering in young star clusters remains enigmatic, especially when they come in pairs. They could represent the lowest-mass object formed via molecular cloud collapse or high-mass planets ejected from their host stars.
However, neither theory fully accounts for their abundance and multiplicity. Here, we show via hydrodynamic simulations that free-floating PMOs have a unique formation channel via the fragmentation of tidal bridge between encountering circumstellar disks.
This process can be highly productive in density clusters like Trapezium forming metal-poor PMOs with disks. Free-floating multiple PMOs also naturally emerge when neighboring PMOs are caught by mutual gravity. PMOs may thus form a distinct population different from stars and planets.
Zhihao Fu, Hongping Deng, Douglas N.C. Lin, Lucio Mayer
Comments: submitted version, comments are welcome
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP); Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA); Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
Cite as: arXiv:2410.21180 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2410.21180v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2410.21180
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Submission history
From: Hongping Deng
[v1] Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:21:14 UTC (6,751 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.21180
astrobiology