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arXiv · 0705.3063

The Evolution of Protoplanetary Disks Around Millisecond Pulsars: The PSR 1257 +12 System

Thayne Currie·Brad Hansen
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Abstract

We model the evolution of protoplanetary disks surrounding millisecond pulsars, using PSR 1257+12 as a test case. Initial conditions were chosen to correspond to initial angular momenta expected for supernova-fallback disks and disks formed from the tidal disruption of a companion star. Models were run under two models for the viscous evolution of disks: fully viscous and layered accretion disk models. Supernova-fallback disks result in a distribution of solids confined to within 1-2 AU and produce the requisite material to form the three known planets surrounding PSR 1257+12. Tidal disruption disks tend to slightly underproduce solids interior to 1 AU, required for forming the pulsar planets, while overproducing the amount of solids where no body, lunar mass or greater, exists. Disks evolving under 'layered' accretion spread somewhat less and deposit a higher column density of solids into the disk. In all cases, circumpulsar gas dissipates on $\lesssim 10^{5}$ year timescales, making formation of gas giant planets highly unlikely.

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Thayne Currie, Brad Hansen. 2007-05-21. The Evolution of Protoplanetary Disks Around Millisecond Pulsars: The PSR 1257 +12 System. https://doi.org/10.1086/520327

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