MODELING THE MID-STAGE EVOLUTION OF THE PROTOPLANETARY CLOUD
USING A HYBRID STATISTICAL/N-BODY SIMULATOR
by Gregory M. Jewell
M.S. Thesis in Physics
Miami University
August 1996
Runaway growth of planetesimals during the mid-stage of planetary formation is
characterized by the rapid growth of a few planetesimals to comparatively large
mass in a relatively brief time. A hybrid kinetic theory/N-body simulation to
investigate runaway growth has been developed. Previous studies of mid-stage
planetary formation are either entirely kinetic theory or N-body. Kinetic
theory simulations alone are unable to accurately follow the behavior of a few
potential runaways; whereas, pure N-body simulations can accurately follow the
evolution of potential runaways, they do not include the interactions with the
low mass swarm. The hybrid code statistically simulates the evolution of the
smaller bodies in the swarm, and directly follows the larger potential runaways
as an N-body calculation. In this way, all of the effects that will determine
if runaways are actually produced are accounted for. Results that demonstrate
the behavior of a few large bodies in a swarm of planetesimals and preliminary
data of a hybrid simulation of mid-stage planetary development are presented.
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