Models and Observational Predictions of Dust Traps in Protoplanetary Discs

Models and Observational Predictions of Dust Traps in Protoplanetary Discs | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Models and Observational Predictions of Dust Traps in Protoplanetary Discs Paola Pinilla This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7704564/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Astrophysics and Space Science → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This manuscript investigates the impact of key dust evolution parameters—disc viscosity, fragmentation velocity, and the initial gas disc critical radius—on dust retention and trapping in protoplanetary discs. Using models with and with- out pressure bumps, combined with radiative transfer simulations, images of the dust continuum emission at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths, their fluxes and observed disc sizes are presented. For discs without pressure bumps (smooth discs), significant dust mass can only be retained over Myr timescales when dust fragmentation velocities are low (v frag = 1 m s −1 ) and with viscosity values of α = 10 −3 . In this case, the synthetic images show a bright inner emission follow by a hallow emission with potential gaps if they are present in the gas profile as well. At higher fragmentation velocities (v frag = 5–10 m s −1 ), most dust is lost due to radial drift at million-year timescales unless pressure traps are present, in which case dust masses can increase by orders of magnitude and structures are observed in synthetic images. The viscosity parameter strongly shapes observable features, with low α producing sharper, potentially asymmet- ric inner rings due to optically thick emission, and high α favoring the appearance of shoulders around the predominant rings that dust trapping produces. How- ever, distinguishing between different fragmentation velocities observationally remains challenging. The inferred dust disc sizes from synthetic observations do not always correspond directly to dust model sizes or to the location of pres- sure bumps. Finally, we discuss implications for pebble fluxes and the delivery of volatiles to the inner disc. These results emphasize the strong degeneracies among dust evolution parameters and highlight the need for multi-wavelength, high-resolution observations to disentangle the processes shaping the formation of planets and planetary embryos in protoplanetary discs. Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Astrophysics and Space Science → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 03 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 02 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 30 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 24 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7704564","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":525263475,"identity":"b79791bd-38df-445e-97c2-206eabad846b","order_by":0,"name":"Paola Pinilla","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA0ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJCCAwwGFjIM7A0MDA/AfDaitEjwMPAcYGBIIFYLEAC1SCQQqcWcgffg4YICCR7+mW8MPyQw2MkzSKQl4NVi2cCXcHgG0GESt3OMgRYlGzZIpB3Aq8XgAI/BYR6QX27nmAEdxpzAIJHeQJwW+ZtnQFrqSdBicIMHpOUwUAsBh1k2A/0C0mJ4Jq1YIsHguGEbz7MEvFrM2XsPf+b5YyMnd/zwxg8fKqrl+dnTDPA7jJkHhUtERBow8BBSMgpGwSgYBSMeAABFLjjdUh1xkAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"University College London","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Paola","middleName":"","lastName":"Pinilla","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-24 14:08:42","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7704564/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7704564/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-025-04530-8","type":"published","date":"2025-12-29T15:57:15+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":93650668,"identity":"06196abf-8885-4e4d-bbf6-9649c3bdf3c2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-16 05:39:37","extension":"json","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":3807,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"3708de54959a4f0c80d3dcf43c21cec7.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7704564/v1/c8991e53e6cc9868743a48d1.json"},{"id":99545303,"identity":"a9788f8a-58a0-4967-9c92-741d4e116b80","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-05 16:05:38","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3933387,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"AstronomyPrizeAwardeesCollectionsPinilla.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7704564/v1_covered_2dc59e7c-4223-474d-b95e-4af5417c7971.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Models and Observational Predictions of Dust Traps in Protoplanetary Discs","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"astrophysics-and-space-science","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"astr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Astrophysics and Space Science](https://www.springer.com/journal/10509)","snPcode":"10509","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10509/3","title":"Astrophysics and Space Science","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7704564/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7704564/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis manuscript investigates the impact of key dust evolution parameters—disc viscosity, fragmentation velocity, and the initial gas disc critical radius—on dust retention and trapping in protoplanetary discs. Using models with and with- out pressure bumps, combined with radiative transfer simulations, images of the dust continuum emission at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths, their fluxes and observed disc sizes are presented. For discs without pressure bumps (smooth discs), significant dust mass can only be retained over Myr timescales when dust fragmentation velocities are low (v\u003csub\u003efrag\u003c/sub\u003e = 1 m s\u003csup\u003e−1\u003c/sup\u003e ) and with viscosity values of α = 10\u003csup\u003e−3\u003c/sup\u003e . In this case, the synthetic images show a bright inner emission follow by a hallow emission with potential gaps if they are present in the gas profile as well. 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