Planetesimal accretion in binary star systems

Abstract

Numerical simulations of planetesimal accretion in circumprimary and circumbinary orbits are described. The secular perturbations by the com- panion star and gas drag are included in our models. We derive limits on the parameters of the binary system for which accretion and then planetary forma- tion are possible. In the circumbinary case we also outline the radial distance from the baricenter of the stars beyond which accumulation always occurs. Hy- drodynamical simulations are also presented to validate our N-body approach based on the axisymmetric approximation for the gas of the disk.