Astrophysics, abstract
astro-ph/0606726

From: Ravit Helled [view email]

Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 16:20:37 GMT (25kb)

Planetesimal Capture in the Disk Instability Model

Authors: Ravit Helled, Morris Podolak, Attay Kovetz

Comments: Accepted for publication in Icarus

We follow the contraction and evolution of a typical Jupiter-mass clump created by the disk instability mechanism, and compute the rate of planetesimal capture during this evolution. We show that such a clump has a slow contraction phase lasting ~3x10^5 years. By following the trajectories of planetesimals as they pass through the envelope of the protoplanet, we compute the cross-section for planetesimal capture at all stages of the protoplanet's evolution. We show that the protoplanet can capture a large fraction of the solid material in its feeding zone, which will lead to an enrichment of the protoplanet in heavy elements. The exact amount of this enrichment depends upon, but is not very sensitive to the size and random speed of the planetesimals.

http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0606726