Planetary Formation and Ring-Satellite Interactions

我们建议编写一个计算机代码，可用于解决行星形成和环卫星相互作用领域的主要问题。理解太阳系起源的两个重要问题是（i）类地行星的形成和（ii）巨行星核心的形成。行星环动力学的一个主要问题是了解环和附近轨道卫星之间的详细相互作用。为了解决这两个领域，我们建议开发一个计算机程序，它同样擅长模拟早期太阳系行星形成时的过程，以及现在土星环部分区域的过程，当时狭窄的环或环边缘被经过的卫星扰动。引力物理学在每种情况下都是相同的;只是起始条件和物理参数不同。

We propose to write a computer code that can be used to solve major problems in planetary formation and the area of ring-satellite interactions. Two important problems in understanding the origin of the solar system are (i) the formation of the terrestrial planets and (ii) the formation of the cores of the giant planets. A major problem in planetary ring dynamics is understanding the detailed interactions between rings and nearby orbiting moons. In order to tackle both of these areas we propose to develop a computer program that is equally adept at modelling the processes that operated during the early solar system as the planets formed, and the processes that are operating now in parts of Saturn's rings when narrow rings or ring edges are being perturbed by passing moons. The gravitational physics is the same in each case; it is only the starting conditions and physical parameters that differ.