Particle fates after 100 My for both (a) planetary embryo and (b) full-mass planet simulations, initially with 10,000 particles per zone.
Not only is the “Jupiter as shield” concept, implying that the planet shields Earth from comet impacts, not true, but perhaps Jupiter’s most important role in fostering the development of life on Earth was just the opposite – delivering the volatile materials from the outer Solar System needed for life to form. This new simulation study, and the previously underestimated role that Saturn may have also played in the evolution of life on Earth, are presented in an original research article published in Astrobiology.
The semimajor axes and eccentricities for all particles that survived 100 My of integration time for both (a) planetary embryo and (b) full-ma...
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