THREE-DIMENSIONAL N-BODY SIMULATIONS OF PLANETARY FORMATION
AND DYNAMICS
by Eric Linden Himburg
M.S. Thesis in Physics
Miami University
August 1998
A three-dimensional gravitational N-body numerical simulation has been developed to
study the final stages of solar system formation. The integration scheme is based on the
Hermite Individual Timestep (HITS) algorithm where each body has its own time and
timestep. The results of several studies are duplicated to verify the validity of the HITS
code. The first study involves the creation of runaway bodies during middle stage
planetary formation, and the second study involves the evolution of planetesimals during
the first few million years of late stage planetary formation in the terrestrial region.
Additionally, the simulation was used to examine the present-day orbital evolution of
asteroids which make close approaches with the Earth, including the recently discovered
asteroid 1997 XF11. Finally, the energy requirements needed to deflect a 20 km diameter
asteroid on a collision course with the Earth are presented.
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