Planet formation
Disk Instability
An alternative route to giant planets in which a massive, cool region of a protoplanetary disk becomes gravitationally unstable and fragments directly into a bound clump of gas, skipping the slow core-building step. It may account for massive planets on wide orbits that are hard to make by core accretion within the disk's lifetime.
Highlights
- ›A disk fragments straight into a giant planet
Methods, worlds & facilities
Knowledge connections
- Associated withProtoplanetary Disks
- Associated withCore Accretion
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.