Detailed Calculations of the Efficiency of Planetesimal Accretion in the Core-accretion Model. III. The Contribution of Planetesimals beyond Saturn

Abstract Continuing our initiative on advancing the calculations of planetesimal accretion in the core-accretion model, we present here the results of our recent study of the contributions of planetesimals around and beyond the orbit of Saturn. In our first two papers, where our focus was on the effects of the Sun and Saturn, the initial distribution of planetesimals was limited to the regions around the accretion zone of a growing Jupiter. In this paper, we expanded that distribution to regions beyond the accretion zone of Saturn. We integrated the orbits of a large ensemble of planetesimals and studied the rate of their capture by the growing proto-Jupiter. In order to be consistent with our previous studies, we did not consider the effect of the nebular gas. Results demonstrated that the exterior planetesimals, especially those beyond 8 au, have only slight contributions to the growth and metallicity of the growing Jupiter. The final mass and composition of this planet is mainly due to the planetesimals inside and around its accretion zone. Our study shows that although the rate of capture varies slightly by the size and composition of planetesimals, in general, the final results are independent of the size and material of these bodies. Results also pointed to a new finding: the rate of accretion follows the same trend as that of the evolution of Jupiter’s envelope, with the largest accretion occurring during the envelope’s collapse. We present details of our analysis and discuss the implications of its results.