The link between disc dispersal by photoevaporation and the semi-major axis distribution of exoplanets

Abstract

We investigate the influence of photoevaporation of protoplanetary discs on the final distribution of exoplanets semi-major axis distances. We model giant planet migration in viscous discs affected by photoevaporation driven by either pure EUV or soft X-ray radiation (XEUV). We show that the final exoplanet distributions are strongly dependant on the choice of the photoevaporation model. In particular, we find that XEUV is more efficient than pure EUV radiation at parking planets at approximately 1-2 AU distance from their central star, hence roughly reproducing the observed peak in the exoplanets semi-major axis distributions. We note however that a more quantitative comparison with the observations is hindered by the oversimplified treatment of planetary accretion, which severely affects migration rates. For this reason, caution should be used when using these models to constrain details of disc clearing and/or migration from the observations. Nevertheless our results indicate that disc dispersal by photoevaporation may be the main driver of the features in the exoplanets semi-major axis distribution observed by recent surveys.

8 pages, 5 figures, accepted by MNRAS

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• Photoevaporation of protoplanetary discs I: hydrodynamic models
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Cited by in corpus (25)

• Hints for a Turnover at the Snow Line in the Giant Planet Occurrence Rate
• The dispersal of protoplanetary discs. II: Photoevaporation models with observationally derived irradiating spectra
• Fingerprints of giant planets in the composition of solar twins
• The evolution of photo-evaporating viscous discs in binaries
• X-ray photoevaporation's limited success in the formation of planetesimals by the streaming instability
• Accreting Transition Discs with large cavities created by X-ray photoevaporation in C and O depleted discs
• The growth and migration of massive planets under the influence of external photoevaporation
• A photo-evaporative gap in the closest planet forming disc
• Effects of photoevaporation on protoplanetary disc `isochrones'
• The imprint of X-ray photoevaporation of planet-forming discs on the orbital distribution of giant planets
• Dust delivery and entrainment in photoevaporative winds
• Testing the models of X-ray driven photoevaporation with accreting stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster
• Constraining planet formation around 6$M_{\odot }$-8$M_{\odot }$ stars
• Formation of wide-orbit giant planets in protoplanetary disks with a decreasing pebble flux
• Dust entrainment in photoevaporative winds: Densities and imaging
• The imprint of X-ray photoevaporation of planet-forming discs on the orbital distribution of giant planets -- II. Theoretical predictions
• Giant planet migration during the disc dispersal phase
• The influence of general-relativity effects, dynamical tides and collisions on planet-planet scattering close to the star
• The gas disk: Evolution and chemistry
• Modelling thermochemical processes in protoplanetary disks I: numerical methods
• The interplay between forming planets and photo-evaporating discs I: Forbidden line diagnostics
• The interplay between forming planets and photoevaporating discs II: Wind-driven gas redistribution
• Formation of ring-like structures in flared α-discs with X-ray/FUV photoevaporation
• First spatially resolved Na I and He I transitions towards an MYSO. Finding new tracers for the gaseous star/disc interface
• Unveiling accretion in the massive YSO G033.3891. Spatial and kinematic constraints from the CO bandhead emission