Energy Loss and Sticking Mechanisms in Particle Aggregation in Planetesimal Formation

✍ Scribed by Frank G. Bridges; Kimberly D. Supulver; D.N.C. Lin; Roberta Knight; Mario Zafra

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 278 KB
• Volume: 123
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0019-1035
• DOI: 10.1006/icar.1996.0168

✦ Synopsis

Recent detection of protostellar disks indicates that the necessary environment for planetary-system formation is A crucial step in the development of planetary systems is the aggregation of small solid particles to form planetesimals commonly found around young stellar objects (Sargent in gaseous protoplanetary disks such as the primordial solar and Beckwith 1987and Beckwith , 1991)). According to current theories, nebula. Among small (centimeter-sized) aggregates for which the formation of terrestrial planets progresses through at self-gravity is negligible, a sticking mechanism is needed to least four stages: (1) the condensation of heavy elements hold the aggregate together, even when the relative velocities into volatile and refractory grains (Vo ¨lk et al. 1980, Nakaare very low. A similar cohesive process may also determine gawa et al. 1986); (2) the formation of planetesimals the size distribution of particles in planetary rings. In order to through cohesive collisions of the grains (Kerridge and provide the crucial data, we carry out experiments to investigate