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Formation and properties of fluffy planetesimals

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Abstract

A mechanism of accumulation of grains in the primordial solar nebula is described. This process produces porous, low density compressible aggregates. Compaction of the aggregates in a collision between them dissipates the kinetic energy of the collision and can result in efficient growth. A simple analysis of such collisions is developed and applied over a range of aggregate sizes and relative velocities. The results indicate that large planetesimals could grow through collisions rather than fragment if the conditions are favorable. Our modelling suggests that primordial asteroids and comets on the order of a kilometer in size will have low densities and irregular shapes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Bertram Donn

  2. Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    J. Mark Duva

Authors
  1. Bertram Donn
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  2. J. Mark Duva
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Donn, B., Duva, J.M. Formation and properties of fluffy planetesimals. Astrophys Space Sci 212, 43–47 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00984507

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