Solar System Is Pretty Special
"Prevailing theoretical models attempting to explain the formation of the solar system have assumed it to be average in every way. Now a new study by Northwestern University astronomers, using recent data from the 300 exoplanets discovered orbiting other stars, turns that view on its head."
"Using large-scale computer simulations, the Northwestern researchers are the first to model the formation of planetary systems from beginning to end, starting with the generic disk of gas and dust that is left behind after the formation of the central star and ending with a full planetary system."
1 comment:
The article in Science, which unfortunately you need a subscription to get, shows a very interesting chart with models of each solar system produced by the simulations. The team varied the planetary disc mass and its viscosity and showed that there was a narrow range of conditions in which planets formed and were stable. The tail end of this group represented conditions similar to our own Solar System.
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