The influence of dynamical friction and mean motion resonances on terrestrial planet growth
Abstract
We present a set of high-resolution direct N-body simulations of planetesimal coagulation at 1 AU. We follow the evolution of of 1 million planetesimals in a ring though the runaway and oligarchic growth phases. During oligarchic growth, the size frequency distribution (SFD) of planetesimals develops a bump at intermediate masses, which we argue is due to dynamical friction acting through mean motion resonances, heating the low mass planetesimals and inhibiting their growth. This feature is similar to the bump seen in the SFD of asteroid belt and Kuiper belt objects and we argue that a careful treatment of the dynamics of planetesimal interactions is required in order to adequately explain the observed SFD. Although our model does not account for fragmentation, our results show that a similar feature can be produced without it, which is in contention with previous studies.
- Publication:
-
AAS/Division of Dynamical Astronomy Meeting
- Pub Date:
- April 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018DDA....49P..12W