Rapid collisional evolution of comets during the formation of the Oort cloud

Details Rapid collisional evolution of comets during the formation of the Oort cloud Rapid collisional evolution of comets during the formation of the Oort cloud

Feb 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001natur.409..589s&link_type=abstract

Nature, Volume 409, Issue 6820, pp. 589-591 (2001).

Physics

44

Scientific paper

The Oort cloud of comets was formed by the ejection of icy planetesimals from the region of giant planets-Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune-during their formation. Dynamical simulations have previously shown that comets reach the Oort cloud only after being perturbed into eccentric orbits that result in close encounters with the giant planets, which then eject them to distant orbits about 104 to 105AU from the Sun (1AU is the average Earth-Sun distance). All of the models constructed until now simulate formation of the Oort cloud using only gravitational effects; these include the influence of the Sun, the planets and external perturbers such as passing stars and Galactic tides. Here we show that physical collisions between comets and small debris play a fundamental and hitherto unexplored role throughout most of the ejection process. For standard models of the protosolar nebula (starting with a minimum-mass nebula) we find that collisional evolution of comets is so severe that their erosional lifetimes are much shorter than the timescale for dynamical ejection. It therefore appears that collisions will prevent most comets escaping from most locations in the region of the giant planets until the disk mass there declines sufficiently that the dynamical ejection timescale is shorter than the collisional lifetime. One consequence is that the total mass of comets in the Oort cloud may be less than currently believed.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Rapid collisional evolution of comets during the formation of the Oort cloud does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Rapid collisional evolution of comets during the formation of the Oort cloud, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rapid collisional evolution of comets during the formation of the Oort cloud will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1215397