Small pebbles may drive the rapid growth of distant planets
In short: A review of planetary formation models found that the accretion of small pebbles occurs at a much faster rate than the accumulation of larger planetesimals. This process allows planetary cores to begin growing in much more distant orbits than where they eventually settle.
By analyzing the movement of dust and pebbles within protoplanetary disks, researchers demonstrated that this efficient growth mechanism is consistent with the observed orbits of giant planets. The review integrates governing equations to track how planetary mass changes relative to their distance from a central star.
Why it matters: Understanding how small particles accumulate helps explain how giant planets form far from their stars.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Johansen and Lambrechts (2017). Forming Planets via Pebble Accretion. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
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