Time scale for the formation of the earth and planets and its role in their geochemical evolution

The initial mass of the solar nebula is discussed. Models of a massive nebula (two solar masses and more) encounter serious difficulties: an effective mechanism of transfer of the momentum from the central part of the nebula outward, capable of leading to formation of the sun and removal of half the mass of the nebula from the solar system has not been found. As a consequence of the instability of these models, their evolution can end with the formation, not a planetary system, but of a binary star. The possibility is demonstrated of obtaining acceptable growth rates for Uranus and Neptune by prolonging the thickening of preplanetary dust in the region of large masses. The important role of large bodies in the process of formation of the planets is noted. The impacts of such bodies, moving in heliocentric orbits, could have imparted considerable additional energy to the forming Moon, which, together with the energy given off by the joining of a small number of large protomoons, could have led to a high initial temperature of the moon

Core instability models of giant planet accretion II: forming planetary systems

We develop a simple model for computing planetary formation based on the core instability model for the gas accretion and the oligarchic growth regime for the accretion of the solid core. In this model several planets can form simultaneously in the disc, a fact that has important implications specially for the changes in the dynamic of the planetesimals and the growth of the cores since we consider the collision between them as a source of potential growth. The type I and II migration of the embryos and the migration of the planetesimals due to the interaction with the disc of gas are also taken into account. With this model we consider different initial conditions to generate a variety of planetary systems and analyse them statistically. We explore the effects of using different type I migration rates on the final number of planets formed per planetary system such as on the distribution of masses and semimajor axis of extrasolar planets, where we also analyse the implications of considering different gas accretion rates. A particularly interesting result is the generation of a larger population of habitable planets when the gas accretion rate and type I migration are slower.Comment: 4 figures and 1 table. Accepted for publication in MNRA