Astrophysics (Index)About

electrostatic barrier

(charge barrier)
(the problem that dust grains will repel and not join to form planet seeds)

The terms electrostatic barrier and charge barrier refer to a particular challenge that planet formation must overcome (i.e., a barrier to planet formation), given the current general theory that planets form within protoplanetary disks from the disk material of cosmic dust and gas. The challenge is that dust grains are likely to be negatively charged and would repel each other rather than stick together to form larger grains and ultimately the seeds of planets. The disk material is likely to be somewhat ionized from cosmic rays and stellar ionizing radiation.


The term electrostatic barrier is also used outside the subject of planet formation and outside astronomy: the same electric force operates as a barrier in other, unrelated situations.


(planet formation,barrier,migration)
Further reading:
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2011ApJ...731...95O/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015ARep...59..747A/abstract

Referenced by page:
barrier

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