Formation of planetesimals via the streaming instability - numerical simulations -

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Robi Stefan Banerjee
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2019 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 429525649

The streaming instability is a mechanism to overcome the barriers impeding the growth of solid particles to planetesimals in laminarflows. It is thus a viable mechanism to close a gap in the theory of planet formation. Via the streaming instability, particles can beconcentrated in dense filaments, in which gravitationally unstable particle clumps form planetesimals. Currently, the PhD student UrsSch\"afer at the Hamburg Observatory is performing numerical simulations to investigate the efficiency of the streaming instability to form planetesimals for various disc properties. This is done with a novel numerical approach including the gravitational potential of thecentral star in global simulations with the FLASH code.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Sweden
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Anders Johansen