Solar System Physics Group
Research Projects
Solar System formation:
We study the formation of planets by planetesimal accumulation
using a multi-zone simulation model developed at the Planetary Sciece Insitute.
The effects of dynamical mechanisms like gravitational stirring by gravitational
perturbations, dynamical friction, runaway growth and so on, are investigated.
We are using this model to study also accretion in the Kuiper Belt.
Extrasolar planets:
Predictions of the
Jumping-Jupiters
model for extrasolar planet dynamics, planet migration in
protoplanteary disks, planet formation and planetesimal evolution in
binaries, circumstellar and circumbinary disk evolution, debris disks.
Trojan Asteroids:
We use numerical algorithms to study the origin and
evolution
of Trojan asteroids. Their long term stability is also inverstigated
using stability analysis tools like lyapunov exponents and Frequency
Map Analisys.
Non-gravitational forces:
We study the combined effects of non gravitational forces
(nebular gas drag, Poynting-Robertson and Yarkowsky effect) and gravitational
perturbations by planets on a variety of minor bodies inthe solar systems:
planetesimals, dust particles and meteorites.
Space Missions:
We are involved in the ROSETTA, BEPI-COLOMBO and PLATO missions. We
actively partecipate to the mission definition and instrument design
and we also are involved in the data analysis. Recently the camera
OSIRIS on board of the ROSETTA mission has taken nice pictures of
asteroids Steins and Lutetia.
Collaborations: Clement
Baruteau (Cambridge, UK), Silvano Desidera (INAF, Padova,
Italy), Andy Nelson (Los Alamos Nat. Lab., USA), Paolo Paolicchi (Univ.
Pisa, Italy), Alessandro Rossi (CNR, Firenze, Italy), Hans Scholl
(Observatoire de Nice, FR), Dan Scheeres (Univ. Boulder, USA), Philippe
Thebault (Observatoire di Paris, FR), Stu Weidenschilling (PSI,
USA).
Francesco Marzari (Marzari@pd.infn.it)
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