Study of Migration of Giant Planets and Formation of Populations of Distant Trans-Neptunian Objects in the Nice Model

TL;DR

This study uses numerical simulations within the Nice model to explore how giant planet migration influences the formation and distribution of distant trans-Neptunian objects over billions of years.

Contribution

It extends the Nice model by including planetesimals and their self-gravity, providing new insights into planetary system evolution and trans-Neptunian populations.

Findings

Planetary systems can remain stable for billions of years.

Final planetary orbits can resemble current Solar System orbits.

Distant trans-Neptunian objects can form naturally in the model.

Abstract

Numerical modeling of the interaction of giant planets and the planetesimal disk was carried out for the Nice model, in which the initial orbits of the planets are in resonant configurations. In addition to the standard Nice model, planetesimals in the planetary region were considered and the self-gravity of the planetesimal disk was taken into account. The dynamical evolution of planetary systems has been studied for time intervals on the order of the lifetime of the Solar System. We have found cases in which the planetary systems survive for billions of years, the final orbits of the planets are close to the present orbits, and distant trans-Neptunian objects exist.