A Gas-poor Planetesimal Capture Model for the Formation of Giant Planet Satellite Systems

Abstract

Assuming that an unknown mechanism (e.g., gas turbulence) removes most of the subnebula gas disk in a timescale shorter than that for satellite formation, we develop a model for the formation of regular (and possibly at least some of the irregular) satellites around giant planets in a gas-poor environment. In this model, which follows along the lines of the work of Safronov et al. (1986), heliocentric planetesimals collide within the planet's Hill sphere and generate a circumplanetary disk of prograde and retrograde satellitesimals extending as far out as $\sim R_H/2$. At first, the net angular momentum of this proto-satellite swarm is small, and collisions among satellitesimals leads to loss of mass from the outer disk, and delivers mass to the inner disk (where regular satellites form) in a timescale $\lesssim 10^5$ years. This mass loss may be offset by continued collisional capture of sufficiently small $<1$ km interlopers resulting from the disruption of planetesimals in the feeding zone of the giant planet. As the planet's feeding zone is cleared in a timescale $\lesssim 10^5$ years, enough angular momentum may be delivered to the proto-satellite swarm to account for the angular momentum of the regular satellites of Jupiter and Saturn.(abridged)

45 pages, 11 figures, 3 appendices, uses rgfmacro.tex, accepted for publication to Icarus