Fractal accretion of cosmic grains

Abstract

This study is concerned with the formations that might arise in space if cosmic dust grains with a range of sizes collide and coalesce. Simulations with circular particles in two dimensions show that the resulting structures are fractal objects with a fractal dimension of 1.37. In the low gravity of space these fractal growths might snowball and form large, low-density growths with a fluffy texture.