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Unexpected clustering in the orbital elements of minor bodies beyond theKuiper belt has led to speculations that our solar system actually hosts nineplanets, the eight established plus a hypothetical "Planet Nine". Severalrecent studies have shown that a planet with a mass of about 10 Earth masses ona distant eccentric orbit with perihelion far beyond the Kuiper belt couldcreate and maintain this clustering. The evolutionary path resulting in anorbit such as the one suggested for Planet Nine is nevertheless not easilyexplained. Here we investigate whether a planet scattered away from thegiant-planet region could be lifted to an orbit similar to the one suggestedfor Planet Nine through dynamical friction with a cold, distant planetesimalbelt. Recent simulations of planetesimal formation via the streaminginstability suggest that planetesimals can readily form beyond 100au. Weexplore this circularisation by dynamical friction with a set of numericalsimulations. We find that a planet that is scattered from the region close toNeptune onto an eccentric orbit has a 20-30% chance of obtaining an orbitsimilar to that of Planet Nine after 4.6Gyr. Our simulations also result instrong or partial clustering of the planetesimals; however, whether or not thisclustering is observable depends on the location of the inner edge of theplanetesimal belt. If the inner edge is located at 200au the degree ofclustering amongst observable objects is significant.

Circularizing Planet Nine through dynamical friction with an extended, cold planetesimal belt