Abstract

Contributed Talk - Splinter Computational

Thursday, 12 September 2024, 15:00   (S26)

New embedded grids technique to simulate the formation of exoplanets' first atmospheres.

Dennis Wehner, Rolf Kuiper, Chris Ormel
University of Duisburg-Essen

We are developing a new embedded grids technique, which is based on the PLUTO code, and solves the radiative-hydrodynamic equations for a circumstellar disk and a forming planet inside the disk on two separate grids, one centered on the host star and the other one on the planet. This new method shall help us to understand the observed abundance of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes near their host stars, for which the atmospheric composition suggests their formation during the gas-rich phase of the circumstellar disk. In this case, the radiative cooling of the atmosphere and the subsequent Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction would lead to a runaway accretion and the planet would become a hot Jupiter. Recent studies have shown that in local shearing box simulations, atmosphere-disk recycling can completely compensate radiative cooling and prevent runaway accretion. The new method will extend these local simulations and allow us to go to higher core masses by taking planet-disk interactions into account.