Minimum-Structure Theory (F-Minimization) for Unified Stellar-Planet-Satellite Formation and the Existence of Gas Giants within 3 AU

We propose the Minimum-Structure Theory (MST), a unified framework in which stars, planets, and satellites emerge as successive minima of the total free energy: ∆F total = ∆F grav + ∆F rad + ∆F th + ∆F B + ∆F Z. The generalized structural boundary r bnd = r bnd (L ⋆, M ⋆, B ⋆, Z ⋆) satisfies ∂ ∂r (∆F grav + ∆F rad + ∆F B + ∆F Z) r=r bnd = 0, removing the solar bias (r bnd ≈ 1 AU for Sun-like stars) and generalizing equilibrium zones for solids, liquids, and gases. Within this structure, hot or warm Jupiters appear when ∆F gas (r ≲ 3 AU) < ∆F rock (r ≲ 3 AU), typically in high-metallicity (Z ⋆), strong-magnetic (B ⋆), or massive-disk systems. Conversely, low-luminosity, metal-poor stars favor rocky inner planets. Probabilistic annotations yield: P in-situ ≈ 0.35-0.50 (Med; CI ±15%), P mig ≈ 0.50-0.65 (Med-High; CI ±10%), and P λ>10 • ≈ 0.40 (CI ±0.10) for spin-orbit distortion. Two validation cases confirm falsifiability: Case A-a high-metallicity F/G-type host with a warm Jupiter (0.7-2 AU), and Case B-a low-metallicity K/M-type host with purely rocky inner planets. Supplementary Material File (62mst.pdf) - Download - 235.54 KB Information & Authors Information Version history Copyright This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Authors Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 154views 107downloads Citations Download citation hong seok houn, Seokhoun Hong. Minimum-Structure Theory (F-Minimization) for Unified Stellar-Planet-Satellite Formation and the Existence of Gas Giants within 3 AU. Authorea. 30 October 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176184275.58845245/v1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176184275.58845245/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu.