Envelope INstability in Gian Planet Formation

BENVENUTO, O. BRUNINI, A. FORTIER, A.

ICARUS

Elsevier

Lugar: Cornell; Año: 2007 vol. 191 p. 394 - 396

0019-1035

We compute the growth of isolated gaseous giant planets for several values of the density of the protoplanetary disk, several distances from the central star andtwo values for the (fixed) radii of accreted planetesimals. Calculations were performed in the frame of the core instability mechanism and the solids accretion rateadopted is that corresponding to the oligarchic growth regime.We find that for massive disks and/or for protoplanets far from the star and/or for large planetesimals,the planetary growth occurs smoothly. However, notably, there are some cases for which we find an envelope instability in which the planet exchanges gas withthe surrounding protoplanetary nebula. The timescale of this instability shows that it is associated with the process of planetesimals accretion. The presence of thisinstability makes it more difficult the formation of gaseous giant planets.