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A low mass for Mars from Jupiter's early gas-driven migration
Kevin J Walsh1, Alessandro Morbidelli, Sean N Raymond
11] Université de Nice - Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, BP 4229, 06304 Nice Cedex 4, France. kwalsh@boulder.swri.edu
Nature
|June 7, 2011
Summary
Giant planet migration influenced early Solar System formation. Jupiter
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Solar System Formation
- Comparative Planetology
Background:
- Giant planets Jupiter and Saturn formed early in a gas-dominated disk.
- Their orbits were susceptible to rapid, gas-driven migration.
- Terrestrial planet formation occurred later, with Mars' mass posing a challenge for prior models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of giant planet migration on terrestrial planet formation.
- To explain the observed characteristics of the terrestrial planets, including Mars' mass.
- To understand the origin of compositional differences in the asteroid belt.
Main Methods:
- Hydrodynamic simulations of the early Solar System.
- Modeling the inward and outward migration of Jupiter.
- Simulating planetesimal disk evolution and terrestrial planet accretion.
Main Results:
- Jupiter's inward migration to 1.5 astronomical units (au) and subsequent outward migration truncated the planetesimal disk at 1 au.
- Terrestrial planets formed from this truncated disk over 30-50 million years, yielding an observed Earth/Mars mass ratio.
- Jupiter's scattering explains the asteroid belt's compositional dichotomy, with inner bodies from 1-3 au and outer bodies from beyond the giant planets.
Conclusions:
- Giant planet migration is crucial for understanding terrestrial planet formation.
- The model reconciles the formation timeline and characteristics of the terrestrial planets.
- The dynamic behavior of Jupiter and Saturn mirrors that inferred for extrasolar giant planets.
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