N-Body Simulations of the Formation of the Inner Planets

Details N-Body Simulations of the Formation of the Inner Planets N-Body Simulations of the Formation of the Inner Planets

Sep 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996dps....28.1106c&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #28, #11.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 28, p.1107

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We present the results of N-body integrations, including collisions, of systems of lunar-to-Mars size planetary embryos, following the evolution for up to 10(8) years. In the absence of the outer planets, a disk of embryos spanning 0.55--1.8 AU forms 2--4 planets interior to 1.5 AU, with the formation essentially complete by 60 million years. At larger heliocentric distances accretion occurs much more slowly. The orbital evolution is dominated by large oscillations in embryo eccentricity and inclination, caused by mutual secular perturbations, which may play a large role in determining the final spacing of the planets. Adding Jupiter and Saturn at 10 million years, with their current orbits and masses, has little effect interior to 1.5 AU. Farther from the sun the evolution is faster than before as resonances with the giant planets scatter embryos beyond 2 AU into the sun or eject them from the solar system. Much of the material in the``Mars'' region (1.5--2.0 AU) is also removed by mutual close encounters that scatter embryos into the resonance zone or into the inner region where they are rapidly accreted by larger objects. We also consider disks of embryos extending into the asteroid belt. Most of these new embryos are removed when the giant planets are added as mutual close encounters scatter them into resonances, and many are accreted by planets interior to 1.5 AU, substantially enhancing the masses of the final terrestrial planets. In some simulations a single embryo remains on an apparently-stable orbit in the asteroid belt. In simulations incorporating the giant planets, 2--3 terrestrial planets form, strongly clustered in the region 0.6--1.2 AU, with the evolution complete throughout the region inside 5 AU by 10(8) years.

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