Planetesimal-Erosion

Flow around a planetesimal

This project aims to investigate the flow around and erosion of a planetisimal by a viscous fluid under physical conditions that typically occur in protoplanetary discs. As a starting point, the erosion model presented in Cedenblad et al. (2021) will be numerically reproduced and systematically extended in perspective.

A first step is to investigate the stresses acting on the surface of a stationary sphere flown around by a gas. In particular, the influence of the Mach number in the range \(0<\mathcal{M}<2\) on the shear and pressure stress distribution is to be investigated in order to gain a basic understanding of the flow conditions relevant for erosion.