37th DPS Meeting, 4-9 September 2005
Session 29 Planet and Satellite Formation
Poster, Tuesday, September 6, 2005, 6:00-7:15pm, Music Foyer

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[29.08] Settling of Small Grains in an Extended Protoplanet

R. Helled, A. Kovetz, M. Podolak (Tel-Aviv University)

We calculate the rate of sedimentation of grains during the gravitational contraction of a protoplanetary ``clump" in the scenario of Boss (2002). For the first 3x105 years, such a clump contracts slowly and its internal parameters (temperature, density, and pressure) change slowly. We find that during this time silicate grains can sediment to the core if their initial size is larger than about 0.01 cm. If the protoplanet is convective, even smaller grains settle to form a core.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.