Dynamics of self-gravitating dust clouds in astrophysical plasmas

Journal Article · Sun Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2996717· OSTI ID:21251198

Eliasson, B ^[1]; Avinash, K ^[2]; Shukla, P K ^[3]

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1. Department of Physics, Umea ring University, SE-90 187 Umea ring (Sweden)
2. IGPP, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 (United States)
3. Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)

Due to the gravitational force, clouds of dust and gas in the interstellar medium can contract and form stars and planet systems. We here show that if the dust grains are electrically charged then the self-gravitation can be balanced by the ion pressure, and the collapse can be halted. In this case, the dust cloud may form soft dust planets, having the weight of a small moon or satellite, but a radius larger than of our Sun. There exist a critical mass beyond which the dust cloud collapses and forms a solid planet.

• OSTI ID: 21251198
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1041, Issue 1; Conference: 5. international conference on the physics of dusty plasmas, Ponta Degada, Azores (Portugal), 18-23 May 2008; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.2996717; (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ASTROPHYSICS
COSMIC DUST
COULOMB FIELD
GRAVITATION
IONS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
PLASMA
RF SYSTEMS