Formation of the satellite systems of the major planets.

The orbital configurations of the moons of the major planets are similar to those of the planets about the sun in that both systems conform to the Titius-Bode law of planetary distances. This similarity suggests that the same cosmogenic process is responsible for both origins. A Laplacian mechanism of shedding and condensation of gaseous rings under gravitational contraction is investigated numerically, and found to be in good agreement with empirical data when supersonic convective turbulence is taken into account.