Constructing the secular architecture of the solar system

Free access article

Issue		A&A Volume 507, Number 2, November IV 2009


Page(s)		1041 - 1052
Section		Planets and planetary systems
DOI		http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/200912876
Published online		08 September 2009

A&A 507, 1041-1052 (2009)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/200912876

I. The giant planets

A. Morbidelli¹, R. Brasser¹, K. Tsiganis², R. Gomes³, and H. F. Levison⁴

¹ Dep. Cassiopee, University of Nice - Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06304 Nice, France
e-mail: brasser_astro@yahoo.com
² Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
³ Observatório Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
⁴ Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, USA

Received 13 July 2009 / Accepted 31 August 2009

Abstract
Using numerical simulations, we show that smooth migration of the giant planets through a planetesimal disk leads to an orbital architecture that is inconsistent with the current one: the resulting eccentricities and inclinations of their orbits are too low. The crossing of mutual mean motion resonances by the planets would excite their orbital eccentricities but not their orbital inclinations. Moreover, the amplitudes of the eigenmodes characterising the current secular evolution of the eccentricities of Jupiter and Saturn would not be reproduced correctly, and only one eigenmode is excited by resonance-crossing. We show that, at the very least, encounters between Saturn and one of the ice giants (Uranus or Neptune) need to have occurred to reproduce the current secular properties of the giant planets, in particular the amplitude of the two strongest eigenmodes in the eccentricities of Jupiter and Saturn.

Key words: planets and satellites: formation -- solar system: formation

What is OpenURL?

The OpenURL standard is a protocol for transmission of metadata describing the resource that you wish to access. An OpenURL link contains article metadata and directs it to the OpenURL server of your choice. The OpenURL server can provide access to the resource and also offer complementary services (specific search engine, export of references...). The OpenURL link can be generated by different means.

If your librarian has set up your subscription with an OpenURL resolver, OpenURL links appear automatically on the abstract pages.
You can define your own OpenURL resolver with your EDPS Account. In this case your choice will be given priority over that of your library.
You can use an add-on for your browser (Firefox or I.E.) to display OpenURL links on a page (see http://www.openly.com/openurlref/). You should disable this module if you wish to use the OpenURL server that you or your library have defined.