Damien,
The Orion region is loaded with exceptionally high mass densities when
compared with open interstellar space.
Thus the mass concentration mechanisms inherent in a star's gravitational
collapse might not be needed for spontaneous planet formation in
interstellar space of that region.
It would be nice to suppose otherwise though...
cymm
-----Original Message-----
From: Damien Broderick <d.broderick@english.unimelb.edu.au>
To: extropians@extropy.com <extropians@extropy.com>
Date: Monday, October 09, 2000 9:47 PM
Subject: star-ships?
>An amusing conceit:
>
>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/10/001006075617.htm
>
>>Scientists have discovered 18 planet-like objects, drifting free of
>> any central star, in a region of the Orion constellation. If
the
>> young, cool bodies are in fact planets, these free floaters
may
>> pose a considerable challenge to current theories about how
>> planets form.
>
>...
>>The team determined the objects' mass by plugging their data into
>> models of planet and brown dwarf formation. Researchers
>> generally classify bodies less than 13 times the mass of
Jupiter
>> (13 Jupiter masses) as planets, and bodies between 13 and 75
>> Jupiter masses as brown dwarfs.
>>
>> The model results vary a bit depending on the objects' age,
>but are
>> mostly well within the range for planets. Sigma Orionis is
>> probably 5 million years old, so if the objects are equally
old,
>> they are probably 8-15 Jupiter masses. If they are only 1 My,
the
>> fainter ones could be as small as 5 Jupiter masses.
>
>Uh, Robert, I don't suppose...
>
>Damien
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