What structure served as the direct cradle for the formation of Jupiter's four largest moons?
Answer
Circumplanetary disk (CPD)
Jupiter gravitationally held onto an extended cloud of gas and debris while growing into a protoplanet; this circumplanetary disk acted as the specific cradle where the four major moons formed.
Related Questions
Which of the following lists the Galilean moons in order of size from largest to smallest?What structure served as the direct cradle for the formation of Jupiter's four largest moons?What critical boundary determined the initial ratio of rock to ice available for accretion by the forming moons?What mechanism is proposed for the gradual growth of proto-moons after the initial seed bodies assembled?What physical interaction caused the newly formed moons to migrate steadily inward toward Jupiter?What is the orbital ratio relationship among Io, Europa, and Ganymede, known as Laplace resonance?Which Galilean moon is characterized as being the densest, composed almost entirely of rock and metal with negligible water ice?Why does Callisto likely possess a less differentiated interior compared to Ganymede?Where does Callisto currently sit relative to the Laplace resonance chain involving Io, Europa, and Ganymede?What recent astronomical observation strongly supported the viability of the pebble accretion model for moon formation?