Origin of Ganymede and the Galilean Moons

Abstract

Ganymede and the Galilean moons formed in a small gas disc around the gas-accreting proto-Jupiter, known as the circum-Jovian disc (CJD). The formation process of the satellites occurs in three steps: the formation of the CJD from the accreting gas onto Jupiter, the transport of solid materials from the circumstellar disc (CSD) to the CJD, and the formation of the satellites inside the CJD from the supplied materials. Recent 3D hydrodynamical simulations have revealed the basic structure of the CJD. However, the detailed structures, which influence the transport of materials and the formation of satellites, remain controversial. Specifically, for the transport of solid materials, pebbles (~cm-m) drifting from the outer region of the CSD are trapped at the gas gap created by Jupiter and cannot be directly supplied to the CJD. There are two alternative mechanisms for supplying solid material: small dust particles accrete onto the CJD together with the gas, or planetesimals, which are less affected by the gas, are captured by the CJD. The satellite formation scenarios are also divided into two groups: satellitesimal and pebble accretion. In both scenarios, the growth timescale of the satellites (~0.1-10 Myr) depends on the continuous supply of material to the CJD. How to stop the migration of forming satellites is also an important issue. The combination of inward migration and its cessation is consistent with the resonant orbits of the three innermost Galilean moons. The compositional gradient and the degree of differentiation of the moons further constrain the proposed formation scenarios. However, none of the proposed scenarios has been fully accepted, and future observations, such as those from the JUICE mission, will provide stricter constraints to define the true origin of Ganymede and the Galilean moons.