If one accepts the current theory of the formation of the moon by the
collision of the earth with a mars sized body one would expect many more
close encounters than collisions. The heavy bombardments would seem to
indicate that chaos took over just as soon as mass started to clump in the
disk. Surely as much outward scattering was occuring as inward, no?

Is anybody suprised by this, I guess, is my question?



"Robert L. Oldershaw" wrote in message
...
In today's batch of new preprints is:

http://arxiv.org/abs/1204.5187

by Boley, Payne and Ford. Submitted to ApJ.

The paper discusses planet scattering and other matters relevant to
exoplanet systems.

Quotation from abstract:

"...auto-ionization is likely to remain the dominant source of free-
floating planets."

In a relatively short time we have gone from planets in relatively
"permanent" orbits to planets undergoing extensive "migrations" and
planets being ejected ["ionized"] from stellar systems.

Our understanding of stellar scale objects and exoplanet systems is
evolving at a remarkable pace, while the engine of particle physics is
racing in "park".

Personally, I find the directions of this evolution highly
enlightening.

Robert L. Oldershaw
http://www3.amherst.edu/~rloldershaw
Discrete Scale Relativity