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S. Cornejo

Publications and source records attributed to S. Cornejo.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

A close pair of orbiters embedded in a gaseous disk: the repulsive effect

We develop a theoretical framework and use two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations to study the repulsive effect between two close orbiters embedded in an accretion disk. We consider orbiters on fixed Keplerian orbits with masses low enough to open shallow gaps. The simulations indicate that the repulsion is larger for more massive orbiters and decreases with the orbital separation and the disk's viscosity. We use two different assumptions to derive theoretical scaling relations for the repulsion. A first scenario assumes that each orbiter absorbs the angular momentum deposited in its horseshoe region by the companion's wake. A second scenario assumes that the corotation torques of the orbiters are modified because the companion changes the underlying radial gradient of the disk surface density. We find a substantial difference between the predictions of these two scenarios. The first one fails to reproduce the scaling of the repulsion with the disk viscosity and generally overestimates the strength of the repulsion. The second scenario, however, gives results that are broadly consistent with those obtained in the simulations.

astro-ph.EP

On the interaction of pebble accreting embryos with the gaseous disc: importance of thermal forces

A planetary embryo embedded in a gaseous disc can grow by pebble accretion while subjected to a gravitational force from the disc that changes its orbital elements. Usually, that force is considered to arise from the Lindblad and corotation resonances with the embryo. However, more important contributions exist for low-mass planets. Radiative thermal diffusion in the vicinity of embryos yields an additional contribution to the disc's force that damps the eccentricity and inclination much more vigorously than the resonant interaction with the disc, and that in general induces fast inward migration. In addition, the irradiation of the disc by a hot embryo gives rise to an additional contribution that excites eccentricity and inclination, and induces outward migration. Which of the two contributions dominates depends on the embryo's luminosity. We assess the importance of these contributions (termed thermal forces) on the dynamics and growth of a set of pebble-accreting embryos initially of Martian mass, by means of N-body simulations that include analytic expressions for the disc's force. We find very different outcomes for the embryos subjected to thermal forces and those subjected only to resonant forces. Importantly, we find that the median final mass of the embryos subjected to thermal forces is nearly independent of the metallicity, whereas this mass roughly scales with the metallicity when they are subjected only to resonant forces. These results can be explained by the strong damping of eccentricity and inclination at low metallicity, which enhances the embryos' accretion efficiency.

astro-ph.EP

Evolution of the eccentricity and inclination of low-mass planets subjected to thermal forces: a numerical study

By means of three dimensional, high resolution hydrodynamical simulations we study the orbital evolution of weakly eccentric or inclined low-mass protoplanets embedded in gaseous discs subject to thermal diffusion. We consider both non-luminous planets, and planets that also experience the radiative feedback from their own luminosity. We compare our results to previous analytical work, and find that thermal forces (the contribution to the disc's force arising from thermal effects) match those predicted by linear theory within $\sim 20$%. When the planet's luminosity exceeds a threshold found to be within $10$% of that predicted by linear theory, its eccentricity and inclination grow exponentially, whereas these quantities undergo a strong damping below this threshold. In this regime of low luminosity indeed, thermal diffusion cools the surroundings of the planet and allows gas to accumulate in its vicinity. It is the dynamics of this gas excess that contributes to damp eccentricity and inclination. The damping rates obtained can be up to $h^{-1}$ times larger than those due to the resonant interaction with the disc, where $h$ is the disc's aspect ratio. This suggests that models that incorporate planet-disc interactions using well-known formulae based on resonant wave-launching to describe the evolution of eccentricity and inclination underestimate the damping action of the disc on the eccentricity and inclination of low-mass planets by an order of magnitude.

astro-ph.EP