The Effect of an Early Planetesimal-Driven Migration of the Giant Planets on Terrestrial Planet Formation

Kevin J. Walsh, Alessandro Morbidelli

Published 2011-01-19Version 1

The migration of the giant planets due to the scattering of planetesimals causes powerful resonances to move through the asteroid belt and the terrestrial planet region. Exactly when and how the giant planets migrated is not well known. In this paper we present results of an investigation of the formation of the terrestrial planets during and after the migration of the giant planets. The latter is assumed to have occurred immediately after the dissipation of the nebular disk -- i.e. "early" with respect to the timing of the Late Heavy Bombardment (LHB). The presumed cause of our modeled early migration of the giant planets is angular mometum transfer between the planets and scattered planetesimals.