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Title: Dynamics of self-gravitating dust clouds in astrophysical plasmas

Abstract

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.

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  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)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21251198
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
AIP Conference Proceedings
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 1041; Journal 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); Journal ID: ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; ASTROPHYSICS; COSMIC DUST; COULOMB FIELD; GRAVITATION; IONS; MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS; PLASMA; RF SYSTEMS

Citation Formats

Eliasson, B, Avinash, K, and Shukla, P K. Dynamics of self-gravitating dust clouds in astrophysical plasmas. United States: N. p., 2008. Web. doi:10.1063/1.2996717.
Eliasson, B, Avinash, K, & Shukla, P K. Dynamics of self-gravitating dust clouds in astrophysical plasmas. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2996717
Eliasson, B, Avinash, K, and Shukla, P K. 2008. "Dynamics of self-gravitating dust clouds in astrophysical plasmas". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2996717.
@article{osti_21251198,
title = {Dynamics of self-gravitating dust clouds in astrophysical plasmas},
author = {Eliasson, B and Avinash, K and Shukla, P K},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1063/1.2996717},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21251198}, journal = {AIP Conference Proceedings},
issn = {0094-243X},
number = 1,
volume = 1041,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2008},
month = {Sun Sep 07 00:00:00 EDT 2008}
}