NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Planet Formation - OverviewModern theories of star and planet formation are based upon observations of planets and smaller bodies within our own Solar System, exoplanets &round normal stars and of young stars and their environments. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth as do terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. These models predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most single stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. A potential hazard to planetary systems is radial decay of planetary orbits resulting from interactions with material within the disk. Planets more massive than Earth have the potential to decay the fastest, and may be able to sweep up smaller planets in their path.
Document ID
20050182655
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Lissauer, Jack J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2005
Subject Category
Astronomy
Meeting Information
Meeting: Space Telescope Science Institute Conference
Location: Baltimore, MD
Country: United States
Start Date: May 2, 2005
End Date: May 5, 2005
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 21-391-10-52
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available