Effects from different grades of stickiness between icy and silicate particles on carbon depletion in protoplanetary disks

Abstract

Earth and other rocky bodies in the inner Solar System are significantly depleted in carbon compared to the Sun and interstellar medium (ISM) dust. Observations indicate that over half of carbon in the ISM and comets is in refractory forms, like amorphous hydrocarbons and complex organics, which can be building blocks of rocky bodies. While amorphous hydrocarbons are destroyed by photolysis and oxidation, radial transport of solid particles can limit carbon depletion, except when complex organics, which are less refractory, are the main carbon source. We aim to identify conditions for severe carbon depletion in the inner Solar System by introducing more realistic factors: differences in stickiness between icy and silicate particles, and high-temperature regions in the disk's upper optically-thin layer, which were not considered in previous studies. We perform a 3D Monte Carlo simulation of radial drift and turbulent diffusion in a steady accretion disk, incorporating ice evaporation/re-condensation, photolysis/oxidation of hydrocarbons in the upper layer, and pyrolysis of complex organics. Our results show that the carbon fraction drops by two orders of magnitude inside the snow line under two conditions: i) silicate particles are much less sticky than icy particles, leading to a rapid decline in icy pebble flux while silicates accumulate inside the snow line, and ii) high-temperature regions in the disk's upper layer stir silicate particles into UV-exposed areas. These conditions reproduce carbon depletion patterns consistent with observations and allow for diverse carbon fractions in rocky bodies. This diversity may explain the wide variation of metals in white dwarf photospheres and suggest different surface environments for rocky planets in habitable zones.

17 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

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