2-Gyr Simulation of the Oort-cloud Formation II. A Close View of the Inner Oort cloud after the First Two Giga-years
Abstract
We simulate the formation of the Oort cloud (OC) till the age of 2 Gyr starting from an initial disc of planetesimals made by 10 038 test particles. The results on the outer part of the distant comet reservoir are reported by Neslušan et al. (this issue). Here we deal with the evolution of the population and structure at 2 Gyr of the complementary inner part of the Oort cloud. The dynamical evolution of the massless test particles was followed via the numerical integration of their orbits. We considered the perturbations produced by four giant planets assuming they have their current orbits and masses, as well as the perturbations caused by the Galactic tide and passing stars. The efficiency of the formation of inner OC is found to be very low: only about 1.1% of all considered particles ended in this part of the OC. At 2 Gyr, the dynamics of the inner cloud is mainly governed by the dominant z-term of the Galactic tide. The number density of the bodies is proportional to the heliocentric distance, r, as r -3.53. The directional distribution of orbits is still strongly inhomogeneous. There are large empty regions in the space angles around the Galactic Equator points with the galactic longitude 90 and 270° (non-rotating frame), or there are only few bodies having the ecliptical latitude higher than +60° or lower than 60°. A strong concentration of objects at the Ecliptic is apparent up to ≈1,000 AU, with a possible—but still not proved—extension to ≈1,500 AU. Beyond r ≈ 6,000 AU, bodies directly above and below the Sun, with respect to the Ecliptic, are absent.
- Publication:
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Earth Moon and Planets
- Pub Date:
- September 2009
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s11038-009-9297-8
- Bibcode:
- 2009EM&P..105..263L
- Keywords:
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- Solar system: formation;
- Oort cloud