What is the current scientific consensus regarding the source of initial planetesimal material compared to the original Chamberlin-Moulton trigger event?
Planetesimals formed in situ within a large, rotating disk left over from the Sun's formation
While the *mechanism* of accretion from planetesimals remains fundamental, the *source* of those planetesimals has shifted dramatically in modern theory. The idea that an external passing star physically ripped material from the Sun is largely discarded. Current understanding favors an internally self-contained process: planetesimals formed directly within the massive, rotating protoplanetary disk of gas and dust that surrounded the Sun immediately following its birth. This aligns the planetary formation process more continuously with the Sun's initial formation history, contrasting sharply with the externally triggered scenario proposed by Chamberlin and Moulton.
