Rapid-then-slow migration reproduces mass distribution of TRAPPIST-1 system

¹ Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 520 Shengrong Road, Shanghai 201210, PR China
² Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
e-mail: ogihara@nagoya-u.jp
³ National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
⁴ School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, 3-8-1 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan

Received: 2 October 2021
Accepted: 5 January 2022

Abstract

Context. The TRAPPIST-1 system is an iconic planetary system in various aspects (e.g., habitability, resonant relation, and multiplicity) and hence has attracted considerable attention. The mass distribution of the TRAPPIST-1 planets is characterized by two features: the two inner planets are large, and the masses of the four planets in the outer orbit increase with orbital distance. The origin of these features cannot be explained by previous formation models.

Aims. We investigate whether the mass distribution of the TRAPPIST-1 system can be reproduced by a planet formation model using N-body simulations.

Methods. We used a gas disk evolution model around a low-mass star constructed by considering disk winds and followed the growth and orbital migration from planetary embryos with the isolation mass, which increases with orbital distance.

Results. As a result, we find that from the initial phase, planets in inner orbits undergo rapid orbital migration, and the coalescence growth near the inner disk edge is enhanced. This allows the inner planets to grow larger. Meanwhile, compared with the inner planets, planets in outer orbits migrate more slowly and do not frequently collide with neighboring planets. Therefore, the trend of increasing mass toward the outer orbit, called reversed mass ranking, is maintained. The final mass distribution approximately agrees with the two features of the mass distribution in the TRAPPIST-1 system.

Conclusions. We discover that the mass distribution in the TRAPPIST-1 system can be reproduced when embryos experience rapid migration and become trapped near the disk inner edge, and then more massive embryos undergo slower migration. This migration transition can be achieved naturally in a disk evolution model with disk winds.