SP-345 Evolution of the Solar
System
FIGURE 17.5.1.- The condensation
process. The outer dashed line represents the circular orbit of a
plasma element in the partially corotating plasma. Condensation
produces small solid grains which move m Kepler ellipses with
eccentricity e = 1/3. Two such gram orbits are shown, one originating
from condensation at A and the other, at A'. The condensation
point A,
which hence is the apocenter of the former orbit, has the spherical
coordinates
.
The pericenter P is at
, and the nodal points are at
and
. Collisions between a large number of such grains
result in the final (circular) orbit of solid particles in the
equatorial plane The eccentricity 1/3 of the initial gram orbit and
the radius 2r0/3 of the final
orbit of condensed matter are direct consequences of the plasma being
in the state of partial corotation (see sees. 17.3-17.5).
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