2025/07/15 by Zwart, Simon Portegies, Hochart, Erwan
#Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Physical sciences #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2507.11786
The discovery of N\rm pp = 40 Jupiter-mass binary objects (JuMBOs) alongside N\rm p = 500 free-floating Jupiter-mass objects (JMOs) in the Trapezium cluster's central portion raises questions about their origin \cite2023arXiv231001231P. \citet2024NatAs...8..756W argue that the rate at which two planets orbiting the same star are stripped by a close encounter can explain about half the observed JuMBOs in the Trapezium cluster. Although, their cross-section calculations agree with our own \citep2024ScPA....3....1P, one cannot extrapolate their results into clustered environments because it ignores the dissociation of JuMBOs due to subsequent encounters in the clustered environment. The inability of forming JuMBOs via the proposed scenario either calls for another formation mechanism, or the observed JuMBOs require thorough confirmation.