Why did outer disk planetesimals grow potentially much larger than inner disk ones?
They had access to ice, significantly increasing the available solid material budget.
Planetesimals forming beyond the snow line in the outer regions of the protoplanetary disk had a substantial advantage regarding raw material availability. In addition to rock and metal, which were present everywhere, these regions contained abundant condensed ices, including water, methane, and ammonia ice. This significantly increased the total mass fraction of solids available for accretion compared to the inner system, where only rock and metal could solidify. This wealth of solid material allowed outer disk planetesimals to grow to potentially ten times the mass of Earth, enabling them to eventually capture massive amounts of gas and form the giant planets.
