Evolution of the solar nebula. I. Nonaxisymmetric structure during nebula formation

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/167930· OSTI ID:5095336

Boss, A P ^[1]

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1. Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC (USA)

Numerical solutions of the equations of hydrodynamics, gravitation, and radiative transfer in three spatial dimensions are used to model the formation and time evolution of the early solar nebula in order to learn whether or not gravitational torques between nonaxisymmetric structures in the solar nebula can transport angular momentum rapidly enough to produce nebula clearing on astronomically indicated (10 to the 5 to 10 to the 7 yr) time scales. The models involve solutions for the collapse of spherical clouds with assumed initial density and rotation profiles onto protosuns of variable mass. Most of the models assume uniform initial density and rotation, and have variations in the initial parameters of cloud mass, cloud rotation rate, and protosun mass which are chosen to simulate a range of possible phases of early solar nebula evolution. The models show little tendency for directly forming small numbers of giant gaseous protoplanets through gaseous gravitational instability. 69 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5095336
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Vol. 345; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
SOLAR NEBULA
SOLAR SYSTEM EVOLUTION
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
GRAVITATION
GRAVITATIONAL COLLAPSE
HYDRODYNAMICS
MASS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PLANETARY EVOLUTION
PROTOPLANETS
PROTOSTARS
RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
SOLAR SYSTEM
STAR EVOLUTION
SUN
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUID MECHANICS
HEAT TRANSFER
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MECHANICS
NEBULAE
STARS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena