Numerical Studies of the Dynamical Orbital Interplay between the Inner and Outer Planets

就在太阳系形成后，木星和土星这两颗巨大的行星在它们的轨道上分别离太阳越来越近和越来越远。这些行星是如此之大，以至于它们的漂移影响了太阳系中也在形成的所有其他较小的天体？像金星和地球这样的行星，小行星和彗星。这些较小的行星被巨行星的引力推来推去。巨大行星所产生的暴力力量？运动导致许多较小的物体轰炸其他物体。已经建立了数学模型来描述早期太阳系中巨行星的这种运动。然而，这些模型表明，引力如此之大，以至于较小的行星无法在这一过程中幸存下来。这些研究人员将使用包括碰撞影响在内的最先进的计算技术，研究太阳系的起源，并对地球和其他较小行星形成的条件进行限制。研究生和本科生将参与这项研究。该团队将通过公开演讲和最近行星研究的公开学生海报与公众分享他们的结果。围绕太阳运行的巨行星和其他恒星在最初形成后会发生显著的演化。这是由组成外太阳系轨道结构的巨行星之间的动力不稳定造成的。然而，类地行星不太可能在这种动态的相互作用中幸存下来。在行星形成的最后巨型撞击阶段，类地行星的确切形状是如何出现的，目前还没有完全弄清楚，我们太阳系内这种演化的时间也没有得到很好的限制。最先进的数值模拟，包括最近开发的模拟行星形成过程中的碰撞的方法，将在这里用来模拟类地行星仍在形成时发生的巨行星不稳定性。将评估这一过程对类地行星形成的影响，以确定我们目前的太阳系是否与这一情景一致，并将被用来对陆地-行星形成模型施加新的限制。研究人员所了解到的也可以应用于系外行星系统的形成。首席调查员将在拟议的研究中指导一名研究生，而研究生将反过来指导本科生。PI还计划在当地举办关于这项研究的公开讲座，以及学生海报大赛。

Just after the Solar System formed, the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn moved closer and farther, respectively, from the Sun in their orbits. These planets are so large that their wander affected all the other, smaller objects that were also forming in the Solar System ? planets like Venus and Earth, asteroids, and comets. These smaller planets were pushed around by the gravity of the giant planets. The violent forces created by the giant planets? movements caused many smaller objects to bombard other objects. Mathematical models have been developed to describe this movement of the giant planets in the early Solar System. The models, however, suggest forces so great that the smaller planets cannot survive the process. Using state-of-the-art computational techniques that include the effects of collisions, these investigators will study the beginning of the Solar System and place limits on the conditions under which the Earth and other smaller planets formed. Graduate and undergraduate students will participate in the study. The team will share their results with the general public through public talks and public student posters on recent planetary research.Giant planets orbiting our sun and other stars evolve significantly after initial formation. This is caused by a dynamical instability among the giant planets that organizes the orbital structure of the outer Solar System. The terrestrial planets, however, are unlikely to survive this dynamical interplay. How the exact configuration of the terrestrial planets emerged from the final giant-impact phase of planet formation is not fully understood, and the timing of this evolution within our own Solar System is not well constrained. State-of-the-art numerical simulations, including recently-developed methods of modeling collisions during planet formation, will be used here to model the giant-planet instability occurring while the terrestrial planets are still forming. The effects of this process on terrestrial planet formation will be assessed to determine whether our current Solar System is consistent with this scenario, and will be used to place new constraints on terrestrial-planet formation models. What the investigators learn can also be applied to exoplanet system formation. The Principal Investigator will mentor a graduate student in the proposed research, and the graduate student will in turn mentor undergraduate students. The PI also plans local public lectures on the research, as well as a student poster contest.