Diffusive low optical depth particle disks truncated by planets

Abstract

Two dimensional particle disks in proximity to a planet are numerically integrated to determine when a planet in a circular orbit can truncate a particle disk. Collisions are treated by giving each particle a series of velocity perturbations during the integration. We estimate the mass of a planet required to truncate a particle disk as a function of collision rate, related to the disk optical depth, and velocity perturbation size, related to the disk velocity dispersion. We find that for particle disks in the regime estimated for debris disks, a Neptune mass planet is sufficiently massive to truncate the disk. If both the velocity dispersion and the disk optical depth are low (dispersion less than approximately 0.02 in units of circular motion, and optical depth less than 10^-4) then an Earth mass planet suffices. We find that the disk is smooth and axisymmetric unless the velocity perturbation is small and the planet mass is of order or greater than a Neptune mass in which case azimuthal structure is seen near prominent mean motion resonances.