SETI public: Terrestrial Planet Formation in Disks with Varying Surface Density Profiles

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Paper: astro-ph/0507004
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 20:59:36 GMT (437kb)

Title: Terrestrial Planet Formation in Disks with Varying Surface Density
Profiles

Authors: Sean N. Raymond (1), Thomas Quinn (1), and Jonathan I. Lunine (2) ((1)
Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; (2) Lunar and
Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ)
Comments: 10 pages, 5 figures in emulateapj style. tp appear in Oct 20, 2005,
issue of ApJ
\\
The ``minimum-mass solar nebula'' (MMSN) model estimates the surface density
distribution of the protoplanetary disk by assuming the planets to have formed
in situ. However, significant radial migration of the giant planets likely
occurred in the Solar system, implying a distortion in the values derived by
the MMSN method. The true density profiles of protoplanetary disks is therefore
uncertain. Here we present results of simulations of late-stage terrestrial
accretion, each starting from a disk of planetary embryos. We assume a
power-law surface density profile that varies with heliocentric distance r as
r^-alpha, and vary alpha between 1/2 and 5/2 (alpha = 3/2 for the MMSN model).
We find that for steeper profiles (higher values of alpha), the terrestrial
planets (i) are more numerous, (ii) form more quickly, (iii) form closer to the
star, (iv) are more massive, (v) have higher iron contents, and (vi) have lower
water contents. However, the possibility of forming potentially habitable
planets does not appear to vary strongly with alpha.

\\ ( http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0507004 , 437kb)

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