What timescale challenge hinders core accretion for forming Jupiter?

Answer

The time needed to build the core exceeds the gas disk's typical lifetime of 3 million years.

A major conceptual difficulty for the core accretion model arises when calculating the time required for a solid core, formed only by accumulating planetesimals, to reach the critical mass needed to gravitationally capture a substantial gaseous envelope. Theoretical estimates suggest this accumulation process is too slow, often requiring significantly more time than the expected average lifespan of the gas-rich protoplanetary disk, frequently cited around 3 million years. This timing mismatch suggests that the standard, orderly accretion sequence cannot account for the rapid existence of massive giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn unless alternative, faster mechanisms, such as disk fragmentation, are invoked to bypass this lengthy core-building phase.

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