Speaker
Description
Binary planetary bodies are rarely discussed in planetary formation, yet these systems are highly interesting, particularly (near-) equal-mass binaries. Multiple studies have shown planetary objects to form in binaries during the early formation stages, potentially explaining known systems such as Pluto-Charon, the contact binary 67P, and many other observed binaries in the Kuiper and asteroid belts. The recent discovery of 40 free-floating Jupiter Mass Binary Objects (JUMBOs) in the Trapezium cluster has sparked renewed interest in understanding the mechanisms behind binary formation. Did these binaries perhaps originate as binary embryos within a stellar system, only to be later expelled? This talk will examine binary planetary embryos that formed early, when the protoplanetary gas disk was still present, and how they grow as a result of pebble accretion. Can this process explain observed equal-mass binaries? And where will future studies look at?
