Misc,
Impact of planet--planet scattering on the formation and survival of debris disks
(2014)cite arxiv:1407.8018Comment: Accepted for publication on MNRAS.
Abstract
Planet--planet scattering is a major dynamical mechanism able to
significantly alter the architecture of a planetary system. In addition to
that, it may also affect the formation and retention of a debris disk by the
system. A violent chaotic evolution of the planets can easily clear leftover
planetesimal belts preventing the ignition of a substantial collisional cascade
that can give origin to a debris disk. On the other end, a mild evolution with
limited steps in eccentricity and semimajor axis can trigger the formation of a
debris disk by stirring an initially quiet planetesimal belt. The variety of
possible effects that planet--planet scattering can have on the formation of
debris disks is analysed and the statistical probability of the different
outcomes is evaluated. This leads to the prediction that systems which
underwent an episode of chaotic evolution might have a lower probability of
harboring a debris disk.
