Solar System Evolution : A New Perspective

by Stuart Ross Taylor

• ISBN13: 9780521641302
• ISBN10: 0521641306
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-10-01
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

This completely rewritten new edition begins with an historical perspective of the place of the solar system in the universe. Evidence from meteorites is used to describe how the planets were formed and the giant planets are considered in the light of the discovery of new extrasolar giants. Other chapters discuss satellites, comets, centaurs, asteroids and why Pluto is not a planet. Explanations on why Earth and Venus turned out so differently, and how Mars and Mercury are the survivors of many similar bodies, are also discussed. The formation of the Moon in a giant impact leads to an assessment of the importance of collisions and impacts in the solar system. It is concluded that our solar system is the end product of many accidental and chance events. This leads to the philosophical discussion of whether planets like our Earth are likely to be found elsewhere in the universe.

Table of Contents

Preface to the First Edition	xiii
Preface to the Second Edition	xix
Acknowledgments	xxii
Prologue	xxiii
A brief history	1	(16)
The pre-Copernican view	1	(3)
The Greeks	1	(2)
Ptolemy	3	(1)
The Copernican Revolution	4	(5)
Tycho Brahe and Kepler	5	(1)
Clockwork systems	6	(1)
Galileo	6	(1)
Descartes and Newton	7	(1)
Kant	8	(1)
Laplace and his followers	9	(1)
Tidal theories	10	(2)
Solar accretion theories	12	(1)
Nebular theories	12	(1)
Notes and references	13	(4)
The universe	17	(12)
The scale and structure of the universe	17	(8)
Titius-Bode Rule	17	(2)
Galaxies	19	(2)
Is the universe uniform?	21	(1)
Density	22	(1)
The age of the universe	23	(2)
Element synthesis	25	(2)
Deuterium	25	(1)
Helium	25	(1)
Lithium, beryllium and boron	26	(1)
Synthesis of the heavy elements	26	(1)
Notes and references	27	(2)
Stars	29	(18)
Star formation	30	(8)
Pre-main sequence evolution	33	(1)
Binary and multiple stars	34	(2)
Red dwarfs	36	(1)
Brown dwarfs	36	(2)
Early violent stellar activity	38	(2)
T Tauri stars	38	(1)
FU Orionis stars	38	(1)
Bipolar outflows	39	(1)
The formation of the Sun	40	(4)
Solar composition	40	(2)
The Solar corona	42	(1)
The fate of the Sun	42	(2)
Notes and references	44	(3)
The solar nebula	47	(26)
The initial concept	47	(1)
Molecular clouds and interstellar dust	48	(6)
Cores	50	(1)
Interstellar dust	51	(3)
Presolar material	54	(3)
Diamond	55	(1)
Silicon carbide	56	(1)
Separation of nebulae	57	(1)
Dust disks around stars	58	(3)
Disks around pre-main sequence stars	58	(1)
HL Tauri disk	59	(1)
Disks around mature stars	60	(1)
Nebular collapse, nebular lifetime, and angular momentum transfer	61	(4)
Nebular lifetimes	62	(1)
The angular momentum problem	63	(1)
Nebular mass	64	(1)
Nebular structure and temperature	65	(3)
Notes and references	68	(5)
Composition and chemical evolution of the solar nebula	73	(32)
CI chondrites and the primitive nebula	75	(6)
Comets as pristine samples of the nebula	78	(3)
Volatile elements	81	(6)
The rare gases	81	(2)
Oxygen isotopes	83	(4)
Chemical reactions in the nebula	87	(1)
Homogeneity or heterogeneity?	87	(2)
Heliocentric zoning	88	(1)
Gas loss from the inner nebula	89	(2)
Volatile-element depletion in the early inner nebula	91	(10)
Condensation or evaporation?	94	(5)
Water	99	(1)
Deuterium/hydrogen ratios	100	(1)
Notes and references	101	(4)
The evidence from meteorites	105	(58)
The most-ancient samples	105	(1)
Refractory or calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAIs)	106	(7)
Composition	108	(2)
Fremdlinge	110	(1)
Rims	111	(1)
FUN inclusions	112	(1)
The Matrix of chondrites	113	(3)
Composition	113	(2)
Source of matrix	115	(1)
Chondrules	116	(11)
Textures and cooling history	117	(2)
Composition	119	(2)
Complementary compositions	121	(1)
Depletion mechanisms	122	(1)
Oxygen isotopes	123	(1)
Ages of chondrules	124	(1)
Chondrule precursor material	124	(3)
Models for the origin of chondrules and CAIs	127	(5)
Nebular origin of chondrules	129	(3)
Chondrites and other primitive meteorites	132	(8)
Composition	134	(4)
Hydration	138	(1)
Enstatite chondrites	139	(1)
Accretion temperatures for chondrites	139	(1)
Chronology	140	(8)
Extinct radionuclides	141	(1)
Sources of short-lived nuclides	141	(3)
The beginning of the solar system, or T0	144	(1)
Chondrite ``ages''	145	(1)
Rb-Sr and Mn-Cr isotopic systems	146	(2)
Fractionated meteorites and parent bodies	148	(7)
Howardites, eucrites, and diogenites (HEDs)	148	(2)
Ureilites	150	(2)
Angrites and Angra dos Reis (ADOR)	152	(1)
Aubrites	152	(1)
Pallasites and mesosiderites	153	(1)
Iron meteorites	153	(2)
Notes and references	155	(8)
Building planets	163	(34)
The collapse of clockwork solar systems	165	(1)
Planetary eccentricity	165	(1)
Differences between the inner and outer planets	166	(5)
Forming giant planets	168	(1)
Giant gaseous protoplanets	168	(3)
Formation of the giant planets by the planetesimal hypothesis	171	(6)
Significance of the asteroid and Edgeworth-Kuiper belts	171	(1)
Early formation of Jupiter	172	(1)
``Snow lines''	173	(1)
Saturn, Uranus and Neptune	174	(1)
Limits to growth	175	(1)
Extrasolar planets	175	(2)
The inner solar system	177	(5)
Accretion from dust or from a hierarchy of objects	177	(1)
Evidence from cratering	178	(2)
Planetary obliquities and spins	180	(2)
Planetesimals	182	(3)
Fractionation in precursor planetesimals	183	(2)
Accretion of planetesimals	185	(6)
Accretion of the inner planets	187	(2)
Meteorites as planetary building blocks	189	(2)
The long-term stability of the solar system	191	(1)
Notes and references	192	(5)
The giant planets	197	(26)
Four giant cores	198	(5)
Composition	200	(1)
Heat flows	201	(1)
Magnetic fields	202	(1)
Atmospheres	203	(2)
Deuterium/hydrogen ratios	205	(1)
Origin of our giant planets	205	(3)
On the usefulness of Jupiter	208	(1)
Planet X	208	(1)
Extrasolar giant planets	209	(10)
Detection of extraterrestrial planets	210	(1)
Orbital distribution	211	(2)
Mass distribution	213	(1)
Composition	214	(2)
The pulsar planets	216	(1)
Formation of extrasolar planets	216	(3)
Notes and references	219	(4)
Satellites and rings	223	(40)
Miniature solar systems?	223	(2)
Satellite classification	225	(4)
Regular satellites	227	(2)
Captured satellites	229	(1)
Galilean satellites	229	(6)
Io	230	(1)
Europa	231	(2)
Ganymede	233	(1)
Callisto	233	(2)
Saturnian satellites	235	(3)
Titan	236	(2)
Uranian satellites	238	(2)
Neptunian satellites	240	(4)
Triton	241	(3)
Planetary subnebulae	244	(4)
The cosmic junkyard	247	(1)
Planetary rings	248	(9)
The jovian ring system	249	(1)
Saturn's rings	249	(2)
The uranian rings	251	(1)
The neptunian ring system	252	(2)
Ring origin	254	(3)
Notes and references	257	(6)
The refugees	263	(38)
Pluto and Charon	263	(6)
Size, density and internal structure	264	(1)
Atmospheres and Surfaces of Pluto and Charon	265	(1)
Origin of Pluto	266	(2)
Origin of the Pluto-Charon pair	268	(1)
Pluto and the solar-nebular composition	269	(1)
The Centaurs	269	(2)
Comets	271	(6)
The Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt	271	(2)
The Oort Clouds	273	(1)
Comet Halley	273	(2)
Formation sites for comets	275	(1)
Deuterium/hydrogen ratios	275	(1)
Cometary ices	276	(1)
Comets from outside the solar system?	276	(1)
The asteroids	277	(14)
The asteroid belt	278	(1)
Kirkwood Gaps	279	(1)
Zonation in the asteroid belt?	280	(1)
Asteroid families	281	(2)
The Apollos, Atens, and Amors (near-Earth asteroids)	283	(2)
The spectrophotometric paradox	285	(1)
The ``Missing olivine'' problem	286	(1)
Individual asteroids	286	(2)
Other asteroid belts?	288	(1)
Origin of the asteroid belt	289	(2)
Asteroidal and cometary dust	291	(4)
CP and CS particles	292	(1)
The zodiacal cloud	293	(1)
Zodiacal dust and the search for extrasolar planets	293	(1)
The terrestrial record	294	(1)
Dust as a solar-system sample	294	(1)
Notes and references	295	(6)
The survivors: Mercury and Mars	301	(30)
Mercury	301	(8)
Internal structure	302	(1)
Surface composition	303	(2)
Evidence for planetary contraction	305	(1)
Bulk composition	306	(1)
Origin of Mercury	306	(3)
Mars	309	(19)
Shape and surface topography	309	(1)
Tharsis	310	(1)
Obliquity	311	(1)
Martian interior	312	(1)
Martian (SNC) meteorites	313	(3)
Bulk composition	316	(3)
Accretion and evolution	319	(1)
Plate tectonics?	319	(1)
Crust and dust	320	(4)
Atmosphere and water	324	(1)
Life on Mars?	325	(2)
Phobos and Deimos	327	(1)
Notes and references	328	(3)
The twins: Venus and the Earth	331	(38)
Venus	331	(12)
Crustal composition	334	(2)
Impact craters and the age of the surface	336	(2)
Heat loss and rates of volcanism	338	(1)
A one-plate planet	338	(1)
The geological history of Venus	339	(1)
Bulk composition	340	(1)
Primitive oceans on Venus?	341	(1)
A close relative of the Earth?	342	(1)
The Earth	343	(21)
Formation and early history	343	(2)
An early crust?	345	(2)
The oceanic crust	347	(2)
The continental crust	349	(2)
Comparison with other planetary crusts	351	(2)
The terrestrial mantle	353	(3)
Mantle composition	356	(2)
The siderophile-element paradox	358	(2)
The terrestrial core	360	(1)
The source of terrestrial water	361	(1)
The atmosphere	362	(2)
Notes and references	364	(5)
The Moon	369	(32)
Some physical properties	370	(2)
The lunar crust	372	(10)
The highlands	372	(5)
The maria	377	(2)
Lunar cratering	379	(3)
Lunar mantle and core	382	(1)
Lunar bulk composition	383	(5)
Volatile elements	383	(1)
Vanadium, chromium and manganese	384	(2)
Depletion of siderophile elements	386	(1)
Refractory lithophile elements	386	(2)
Evolution of the Moon	388	(3)
Ancient lunar magnetic field	389	(1)
Atmosphere	390	(1)
Hypotheses of lunar origin	391	(5)
Pre-Apollo ideas	391	(2)
Large-impact model for the origin of the Moon	393	(2)
Eucrites and the Moon	395	(1)
Notes and references	396	(5)
The role of impacts	401	(30)
A reluctant conversion	401	(2)
Mechanics of cratering	403	(9)
Types of craters	407	(2)
Large basins	409	(3)
Surface histories of the planets and satellites	412	(5)
The early intense bombardment	415	(1)
Basin ages	416	(1)
Lunar cataclysms?	417	(3)
The impactor population in the early solar system	420	(2)
Cratering flux since the heavy bombardment	422	(3)
Periodic extinctions	423	(1)
The Torino scale	424	(1)
Venus	424	(2)
Mars	426
Notes and references	425	(6)
Epilogue: on the difficulty of making Earth-like planets	431	(14)
The plurality of worlds?	431	(3)
Nebular constraints	432	(1)
Consequences of the early formation of Jupiter	433	(1)
The random nature of inner planet formation	434	(4)
Effects of impacts on biological evolution	436	(2)
Is the continental crust of the Earth unique?	438	(1)
Synopsis	439	(3)
Notes and references	442	(3)
Name index	445	(7)
Subject index	452