Planetesimal Formation Induced by Sintering
Abstract
Sintering of H2O ice proceeds in an icy dust aggregate as the temperature increases due to the infall to the central star. By numerical simulations, I show that fragmentation of the aggregate by sintering occurs at a particular region of a protoplanetary nebula. The fragments accumulate at the region because their infalling velocity is low. The dust surface density exceeds the critical surface density required for gravitational instability to form planetesimals.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- June 2011
- DOI:
- 10.1088/2041-8205/733/2/L41
- Bibcode:
- 2011ApJ...733L..41S
- Keywords:
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- planets and satellites: formation;
- protoplanetary disks