  We investigate the gravitational interaction of a Jovian mass protoplanet
with a gaseous disc with aspect ratio and kinematic viscosity expected for the
protoplanetary disc from which it formed. Different disc surface density
distributions have been investigated. We focus on the tidal interaction with
the disc with the consequent gap formation and orbital migration of the
protoplanet. Nonlinear hydrodynamic simulations are employed using three
independent numerical codes.
  A principal result is that the direction of the orbital migration is always
inwards and such that the protoplanet reaches the central star in a near
circular orbit after a characteristic viscous time scale of approximately
10,000 initial orbital periods. This was found to be independent of whether the
protoplanet was allowed to accrete mass or not. Inward migration is helped
through the disappearance of the inner disc, and therefore the positive torque
it would exert, because of accretion onto the central star.Our results indicate
that a realistic upper limit for the masses of closely orbiting giant planets
is approximately 5 Jupiter masses, because of the reduced accretion rates
obtained for planets of increasing mass.
  Assuming some process such as termination of the inner disc through a
magnetospheric cavity stops the migration, the range of masses estimated for a
number of close orbiting giant planets (Marcy, Cochran, & Mayor 1999; Marcy &
Butler 1998) as well as their inward orbital migration can be accounted for by
consideration of disc--protoplanet interactions during the late stages of giant
planet formation. Maximally accreting protoplanets reached about four Jovian
masses on reaching the neighbourhood of the central star.
