George gamov and the origin of the solar system

Abstract

Abstract G. Gamov's point of view on the origin of the Solar System is presented. He was skeptical concerning the modern wide-spread nebular approach to the formation of planets. At the same time, he stopped quite close to the close-binary hypothesis considering the Sun-Jupiter system as the limiting case of a close binary. The latter approach is developed in detail here. The observed close binary systems appear after 4–5 fragmentations of a cloud with excessive angular momentum as a result of rotational-exchange fission of the last fragment-a fast-spinning cloud with density 10−13 − 10−11 g/cm3. Due to high density, the cloud rapidly collapses according to classical Hayashi scenario, with the appearance of a protostar with an outer convective zone. For M < 1 − 1.5M [odot] this zone spans the whole protostar, while for M < 1.5M [odot] it occupies only a part of its mass. In a protostar whose dense inner part rotates faster than its periphery, large angular momentum is stored. When the convection arises, momentum is carried outwards and the outer layers form a massive ring breaking up into self-gravitating fragments. The convective matter of the protostar flows through the inner Lagrangian point to the heaviest fragment. Thus, rotational-exchange fission of a star with M < 1.5M [odot] produces a close binary with components of comparable mass. In the M < 1.5M [odot] case, the matter of the whole star flows onto a newly formed component, so that only a remnant with M∼ 0.001M [odot] is left behind. So the limiting case of a close binary star is the Sun-Jupiter type system (E. M. Drobyshevski, Nature 250, 35, 1974). The other planets were formed within the originally massive and fast-rotating component, a very dense analog of a classical protoplanetary disk, and were lost, except for the last Galilean satellites, because of rapid mass decrease of this component-future Jupiter. This model explains all properties of the Solar System, including slow rotation of the Sun and fast rotation of the planets, and predicts the existence of a planet-cometary cloud containing dozens of moon-like planets at a distance of only 50–3,000 AU (E. M. Drobyshevski, Moon Planets 18, 145, 1978). It predicts also the presence of planets in some binary systems.