Small Planets around Cool Dwarfs: Enhanced Formation Efficiency of Super-Earths around M Dwarfs

Current measurements of planet population as a function of stellar mass show three seemingly contradictory signatures: close-in super-Earths are more prevalent around M dwarfs than FGK dwarfs; inner super-Earths are correlated with outer giants; and outer giants are less common around M dwarfs than FGK dwarfs. Here, we build a simple framework that combines the theory of pebble accretion with the measurements of dust masses in protoplanetary disks to reconcile all three observations. First, we show that cooler stars are more efficient at converting pebbles into planetary cores at short orbital periods. Second, when disks are massive enough to nucleate a heavy core at 5 au, more than enough dust can drift in to assemble inner planets, establishing the correlation between inner planets and outer giants. Finally, while stars of varying masses are similarly capable of converting pebbles into cores at long orbital periods, hotter stars are much more likely to harbor more massive dust disks so that the giant planet occurrence rate rises around hotter stars. Our results are valid over a wide range of parameter space for a disk accretion rate that follows M-* similar to 10(-8) M-circle dot yr(-1) (M-*/M-circle dot). We predict a decline in mini-Neptune population (but not necessarily terrestrial planets) around stars lighter than similar to 0.3-0.5M(circle dot). Cold giants (greater than or similar to 5 au), if they exist, should remain correlated with inner planets even around lower-mass stars. yr

Automated summary

Current measurements of planet population show three seemingly contradictory signatures: close-in super-Earths are more prevalent around M dwarfs than FGK dwarfs; inner super-Earths are correlated with outer giants; and outer giants are less common around M dwarfs than FGK dwarfs. A simple framework combining pebble accretion theory with measurements of dust masses in protoplanetary disks can reconcile all three observations. Cooler stars are more efficient at converting pebbles into planetary cores at short orbital periods, while hotter stars are more likely to harbor more massive dust disks, leading to higher giant planet occurrence rates.