N-Body Simulations of Late Stage Planetary Formation with a Simple Fragmentation Model

Authors: Alexander S.G.¹; Agnor C.B.²

Source: Icarus, Volume 132, Number 1, March 1998 , pp. 113-124(12)

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Abstract:

We present results of two-dimensional gravitational N-body simulations of the late stage of planetary formation. This stage is characterized by the direct accretion of hundreds of lunar-sized planetesimals into planetary bodies. Our simulation code is based on the Hermite Individual Timestep integration algorithm, and gravitational interactions among all bodies are included throughout the simulations. We compare our simulation with earlier works that do not include all interactions, and we find very good agreement. A previously published collisional fragmentation model is included in our simulation to study the effects of the production of fragments on the subsequent evolution of the larger planetary bodies. It is found that for realistic two-body collisions that, according to this model, both bodies will suffer fragmentation, and that the outcome of the collision will be a relatively large core containing most of the mass and a few small fragments. We present the results of simulations that include this simple fragmentation model. They indicate that the presence of small fragments have only a small effect on the growth or orbital evolution of the large planet-sized bodies. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: Physics Department, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, 45056 2: Physics Department, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, 80309

Publication date: 1998-03-01