Depositorioids

Depositorioids are a hypothetical class of celestial bodies that have been proposed as a theoretical intermediate stage in the formation of terrestrial planets. The concept suggests that after the initial accretion of dust and gas in a protoplanetary disk, larger clumps of material, termed planetesimals, would continue to collide and merge. In this scenario, depositorioids would represent objects that have grown significantly but not yet to full planetary status, potentially acting as the primary sites for further accretion. They are envisioned as bodies large enough to possess a significant gravitational pull, capable of attracting and accumulating smaller debris and planetesimals.

The term itself implies a role as a repository for accumulating material. It is theorized that depositorioids would exist in the inner regions of young star systems where rocky and metallic materials are more abundant. Their continued growth would be influenced by factors such as the density of the surrounding protoplanetary disk, the orbital dynamics of other nascent bodies, and the presence of gravitational perturbations from the central star or other forming planets. Understanding the potential existence and evolution of depositorioids could provide crucial insights into the processes that govern planetary formation, particularly the transition from small, kilometer-sized planetesimals to kilometer-scale protoplanets and eventually to fully formed planets. The theoretical framework of depositorioids helps to bridge gaps in current models of planetary system development.