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Abstract The Rossby wave instability (RWI) is the fundamental nonaxisymmetric radial shear instability in disks. The RWI can facilitate disk accretion, set the shape of planetary gaps, and produce large vortices. It arises from density and/or temperature features, such as radial gaps, bumps, or steps. A general, sufficient condition to trigger the RWI is lacking, which we address by studying the linear RWI in a suite of simplified models, including incompressible and compressible shearing sheets and global, cylindrical disks. We focus on enthalpy amplitude and width as the fundamental properties of disk features with various shapes. We find analytic results for the RWI boundary and growth rates across a wide parameter space, in some cases with exact derivations and in others as a description of numerical results. Features wider than a scale height generally become unstable about halfway to Rayleigh instability, i.e., when the squared epicyclic frequency is about half the Keplerian value, reinforcing our previous finding. RWI growth rates approximately scale as enthalpy amplitude to the 1/3 power, with a weak dependence on width, across much of the parameter space. Global disk curvature affects wide planetary gaps, making the outer gap edge more susceptible to the RWI. Our simplified models are barotropic and height integrated, but the main results should carry over to more complex and realistic scenarios. 

Abstract The streaming instability (SI) is a leading mechanism for concentrating solid particles into regions dense enough to form planetesimals. Its efficiency in clumping particles depends primarily on the dimensionless stopping time (τ_s, a proxy for particle size) and dust-to-gas surface density ratio (Z). Previous simulations identified a criticalZ(Z_crit) above which strong clumping occurs, where particle densities exceed the Hill density (thus satisfying a condition for gravitational collapse), over a wide range ofτ_s. These works found that, forτ_s≤ 0.01,Z_critwas above the interstellar medium value (∼0.01). In this work, we reexamine the clumping threshold using 2D axisymmetric, stratified simulations at high resolution and with relatively large (compared to many previous simulations) domain sizes. Our main results are as follows: First, whenτ_s = 0.01, strong clumping occurs even atZ ≲ 0.01, lower thanZ_critfound in all previous studies. Consequently, we revise a previously published fit to theZ_critcurve to account for this updatedZ_crit. Second, higher resolution results in a thicker dust layer, which may result from other instabilities manifesting, such as the vertically shearing SI. Third, despite this thicker layer, higher resolution can lead to strong clumping even with a lower midplane dust-to-gas density ratios (which results from the thicker particle layer) so long asZ ≳ Z_crit. Our results demonstrate the efficiency of the SI in clumping small particles atZ ∼ 0.01, which is a significant refinement of the conditions for planetesimal formation by the SI. 

Abstract The streaming instability (SI) is a leading candidate for planetesimal formation, which can concentrate solids through two-way aerodynamic interactions with the gas. The resulting concentrations can become sufficiently dense to collapse under particle self-gravity, forming planetesimals. Previous studies have carried out large parameter surveys to establish the critical particle to gas surface density ratio (Z), above which SI-induced concentration triggers planetesimal formation. The thresholdZdepends on the dimensionless stopping time (τ_s, a proxy for dust size). However, these studies neglected both particle self-gravity and external turbulence. Here, we perform 3D stratified shearing box simulations with both particle self-gravity and turbulent forcing, which we characterize via a turbulent diffusion parameter,α_D. We find that forced turbulence, at amplitudes plausibly present in some protoplanetary disks, can increase the thresholdZby up to an order of magnitude. For example, forτ_s= 0.01, planetesimal formation occurs whenZ≳ 0.06, ≳0.1, and ≳0.2 atα_D= 10⁻⁴, 10^−3.5, and 10⁻³, respectively. We provide a single fit to the criticalZrequired for the SI to work as a function ofα_Dandτ_s(although limited to the rangeτ_s= 0.01–0.1). Our simulations also show that planetesimal formation requires a mid-plane particle-to-gas density ratio that exceeds unity, with the critical value being largely insensitive toα_D. Finally, we provide an estimation of particle scale height that accounts for both particle feedback and external turbulence. 

Abstract High-resolution submillimeter observations of protoplanetary disks with ALMA have revealed that dust rings are common in large, bright disks. The leading explanation for these structures is dust trapping in a local gas pressure maximum, caused by an embedded planet or other dynamical process. Independent of origin, such dust traps should be stable for many orbits to collect significant dust. However, ringlike perturbations in gas disks are also known to trigger the Rossby wave instability (RWI). We investigate whether axisymmetric pressure bumps can simultaneously trap dust and remain stable to the RWI. The answer depends on the thermodynamic properties of pressure bumps. For isothermal bumps, dust traps are RWI stable for widths from ∼1 to several gas scale heights. Adiabatic dust traps are stable over a smaller range of widths. For temperature bumps with no surface density component, however, all dust traps tend to be unstable. Smaller values of disk aspect ratio allow stable dust trapping at lower bump amplitudes and over a larger range of widths. We also report a new approximate criterion for RWI. Instability occurs when the radial oscillation frequency is ≲75% of the Keplerian frequency, which differs from the well-known Lovelace necessary (but not sufficient) criterion for instability. Our results can guide ALMA observations of molecular gas by constraining the resolution and sensitivity needed to identify the pressure bumps thought to be responsible for dust rings. 

Abstract Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) show an unexpected trend, whereby large bodies have increasingly higher densities, up to five times greater than their smaller counterparts. Current explanations for this trend assume formation at constant composition, with the increasing density resulting from gravitational compaction. However, this scenario poses a timing problem to avoid early melting by decay of²⁶Al. We aim to explain the density trend in the context of streaming instability and pebble accretion. Small pebbles experience lofting into the atmosphere of the disk, being exposed to UV and partially losing their ice via desorption. Conversely, larger pebbles are shielded and remain icier. We use a shearing box model including gas and solids, the latter split into ices and silicate pebbles. Self-gravity is included, allowing dense clumps to collapse into planetesimals. We find that the streaming instability leads to the formation of mostly icy planetesimals, albeit with an unexpected trend that the lighter ones are more silicate-rich than the heavier ones. We feed the resulting planetesimals into a pebble accretion integrator with a continuous size distribution, finding that they undergo drastic changes in composition as they preferentially accrete silicate pebbles. The density and masses of large KBOs are best reproduced if they form between 15 and 22 au. Our solution avoids the timing problem because the first planetesimals are primarily icy and²⁶Al is mostly incorporated in the slow phase of silicate pebble accretion. Our results lend further credibility to the streaming instability and pebble accretion as formation and growth mechanisms. 

ABSTRACT The dissociation and ionization of hydrogen, during the formation of giant planets via core accretion, reduce the effective adiabatic index γ of the gas and could trigger dynamical instability. We generalize the analysis of Chandrasekhar, who determined that the threshold for instability of a self-gravitating hydrostatic body lies at γ = 4/3, to account for the presence of a planetary core, which we model as an incompressible fluid. We show that the dominant effect of the core is to stabilize the envelope to radial perturbations, in some cases completely (i.e. for all γ > 1). When instability is possible, unstable planetary configurations occupy a strip of γ values whose upper boundary falls below γ = 4/3. Fiducial evolutionary tracks of giant planets forming through core accretion appear unlikely to cross the dynamical instability strip that we define. 

ABSTRACT The core accretion model of giant planet formation has been challenged by the discovery of recycling flows between the planetary envelope and the disc that can slow or stall envelope accretion. We carry out 3D radiation hydrodynamic simulations with an updated opacity compilation to model the proto-Jupiter’s envelope. To isolate the 3D effects of convection and recycling, we simulate both isolated spherical envelopes and envelopes embedded in discs. The envelopes are heated at given rates to achieve steady states, enabling comparisons with 1D models. We vary envelope properties to obtain both radiative and convective solutions. Using a passive scalar, we observe significant mass recycling on the orbital time-scale. For a radiative envelope, recycling can only penetrate from the disc surface until ∼0.1–0.2 planetary Hill radii, while for a convective envelope, the convective motion can ‘dredge up’ the deeper part of the envelope so that the entire convective envelope is recycled efficiently. This recycling, however, has only limited effects on the envelopes’ thermal structure. The radiative envelope embedded in the disc has identical structure as the isolated envelope. The convective envelope has a slightly higher density when it is embedded in the disc. We introduce a modified 1D approach which can fully reproduce our 3D simulations. With our updated opacity and 1D model, we recompute Jupiter’s envelope accretion with a 10 M⊕ core, and the time-scale to runaway accretion is shorter than the disc lifetime as in prior studies. Finally, we discuss the implications of the efficient recycling on the observed chemical abundances of the planetary atmosphere (especially for super-Earths and mini-Neptunes).