What Happened to the Disk of Dust of our Proto-star Sun ?

Ask questions, find resources, browse the virtual shelves.
Post Reply
dougettinger
Curious Querier
Posts: 632
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:55 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

What Happened to the Disk of Dust of our Proto-star Sun ?

Post by dougettinger » Mon Nov 08, 2010 6:55 pm

Astronomers are able to recently observe proto-star's disks of gases and dust. A claim is made that on average it takes about 3 times the amount of proto-star disk mass to produce a typical star. Why does not the gravity of the protostar continue to pull the remaining dust inward ? Does radiation pressure in the core that is preventing the collapse of a proto-star by gravity perform in the same way by pushing away incoming dust and gases at the proto-star's surface ?

If this is the case, I have a difficult time understanding the power of this radiation pressure acting against gravity that is able to evauate the entire solar system all the way to the perimeter of Neptune's orbit and beyond ? What percentage of this original power of the radiation pressure is being generated today ? The outer planets may sweep up some of this matter, but only a very small percentage. Why does not this residual dust remain in the wake of the Sun's path and be dragged around the galaxy since it has the same velocity vector ?

Doug Ettinger
Pittsburgh, PA
Doug Ettinger
Pittsburgh, PA

dougettinger
Curious Querier
Posts: 632
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 5:55 pm
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: What Happened to the Disk of Dust of our Proto-star Sun

Post by dougettinger » Mon Nov 15, 2010 5:02 pm

I will try to answer my own questions having received recently more knowledge of the subject.

The materials of the proto-star disk and especially of the post-proto-star disk are very tenuous except for the obvious clumping that created planets and other planetisimals. These particles are easily driven away by radiation pressure as they are still today with the given measured solar winds. These solar winds continue to work all the way to the solar system perimeter due to Newton's Laws of motion. And the force of radiation on particle-size matter is known to be greater than the gravity force of the Sun on these same particles.

I hope my concept of what happens to particle-size matter in our young and current solar system is correct.

I still do not have any concept as to how the cometary materials and comets themselves were formed and pushed to the outskirts of the early solar system (?)

Doug Ettinger
Pittsburgh, PA
Doug Ettinger
Pittsburgh, PA

Post Reply