Simulations of agglomerate collisions with Smooth
Particle Hydrodynamics
The initial growth of planetary precursors is accomplished
through a sequence of collisions of small meter-sized
agglomerates, so called pre-planetesimals. A prerequisite
for successful growth is a high sticking probability of the
particles after colliding with each other. For solid bodies
of cm size or larger the typical collision velocities in
protoplanetary disks are in the range of around 1 m/s up to
> 50 m/s, depending on the size ratio and the form
factor of the bodies. Numerical simulations show that
growth by collisions of rocky bodies under these conditions
is rather unlikely, and erosion is the primary outcome.
However, recent experiments indicate that pre-planetesimals
consist of porous macroscopic dust agglomerates rather than
solid rocky bodies which behave very differently from solid
bodies in collisions. In this project, a comprehensive
survey of three dimensional numerical simulations of
collisions between dust agglomerates will be performed
using porosity models which are calibrated by experimental
data from dust experiments.
Principle Investigators
Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Kley
Dr. Roland Speith