From Dust to Terrestrial Planets

de W. Benz

This volume gives a comprehensive and integrated overview of current knowledge and understanding of the processes occurring during the first 100 million years of the solar system, when the terrestrial planets formed. It is the result of a workshop at ISSI, where planetary scientists, astrophysicists, and cosmochemists exchanged their data, interpretations, and ideas on theoretical models. The book provides a broad synthesis of ground- and space-based observations, laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical considerations dealing with the collapse of molecular clouds to proto-planetary disks and their subsequent evolution. Emphasis is given to the evolution of the disk and the relevant timescales characterizing the underlying (magnetohydro)dynamical, (astro)physical, and (geo)chemical processes responsible for the current distribution and composition of the material in the solar system. Papers in this volume cover the topics of proto-solar disk formation and evolution, formation of the most original compounds and first solids and their subsequent accretion into planetesimals, planetary embryos, and ultimately into planets. The book is intended to provide scientists in space physics and geophysical research with an up-to-date status report on current understanding of terrestrial planet formation, and also to serve the advanced graduate student with introductory material on this active field of research.