5 papers
Binary Planetesimal Formation from Gravitationally Collapsing Pebble Clouds
David Nesvorny, Rixin Li, Jacob B. Simon +4
Planetesimals are compact astrophysical objects roughly 1-1000 km in size, massive enough to be held together by gravity. They can grow by accreting material to become full-size pl…
Protoplanetary Disk Rings as Sites for Planetesimal Formation
Daniel Carrera, Jacob B. Simon, Rixin Li +2
Axisymmetric dust rings are a ubiquitous feature of young protoplanetary disks. These rings are likely caused by pressure bumps in the gas profile; a small bump can induce a traffi…
Turbulence Regulates the Rate of Planetesimal Formation via Gravitational Collapse
Daniel A. Gole, Jacob B. Simon, Rixin Li +2
We study how the interaction between the streaming instability and intrinsic gas-phase turbulence affects planetesimal formation via gravitational collapse in protoplanetary disks.…
Trans-Neptunian Binaries as Evidence for Planetesimal Formation by the Streaming Instability
David Nesvorny, Rixin Li, Andrew N. Youdin +2
A critical step toward the emergence of planets in a protoplanetary disk consists in accretion of planetesimals, bodies 1-1000 km in size, from smaller disk constituents. This proc…
The Mass and Size Distribution of Planetesimals Formed by the Streaming Instability. II. The Effect of the Radial Gas Pressure Gradient
Charles P. Abod, Jacob B. Simon, Rixin Li +3
The streaming instability concentrates solid particles in protoplanetary disks, leading to gravitational collapse into planetesimals. Despite its key role in producing particle clu…