The Evolution of Small Body Populations: From Planet Migration to Thermal Drift Forces
Whitepaper #206 submitted to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032. Topics: primitive bodies; solar system formation, dynamics processes, and chronology
by William Bottke
Published onMar 18, 2021
The Evolution of Small Body Populations: From Planet Migration to Thermal Drift Forces
Small body populations like the asteroid and Kuiper belts place powerful constraints on planet formation, planet migration, and early planetary bombardment models. Their collisional and dynamical evolution over the last several billions of years can also produce surges in terrestrial impacts that potentially affect the history of life on Earth.
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC-BY 4.0)
