Authors: Craig B. Agnor & William R. Ward

Status: Astrophysical Journal, 567, 579-586

Abstract: We examine the damping of terrestrial-planet eccentricities via density-wave interactions with a remnant gas disk that postdated the accretionary epoch. A lower limit is estimated for the gas surface density present in the terrestrial zone required for acoustic damping to be effective, and a simple model for describing the disk's influence on the planet eccentricities is presented. The results suggest that the terrestrial-planet eccentricities could be reduced from values permitting crossing orbits to the present-day values by a remnant disk with gas surface density of ~1e-3-1e-4 times the minimum-mass solar nebula value and characteristic gas dissipation timescales of 1e6-1e7 yr.

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