The formation of Uranus and Neptune among Jupiter and Saturn

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Submitted to AJ; 38 pages, 16 figures

Scientific paper

10.1086/339975

The outer giant planets, Uranus and Neptune, pose a challenge to theories of planet formation. They exist in a region of the Solar System where long dynamical timescales and a low primordial density of material would have conspired to make the formation of such large bodies ($\sim$ 15 and 17 times as massive as the Earth, respectively) very difficult. Previously, we proposed a model which addresses this problem: Instead of forming in the trans-Saturnian region, Uranus and Neptune underwent most of their growth among proto-Jupiter and -Saturn, were scattered outward when Jupiter acquired its massive gas envelope, and subsequently evolved toward their present orbits. We present the results of additional numerical simulations, which further demonstrate that the model readily produces analogues to our Solar System for a wide range of initial conditions. We also find that this mechanism may partly account for the high orbital inclinations observed in the Kuiper belt.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

The formation of Uranus and Neptune among Jupiter and Saturn 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 The formation of Uranus and Neptune among Jupiter and Saturn, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The formation of Uranus and Neptune among Jupiter and Saturn will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-720858

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.