Title:

Relationship between Giant Planet Formation, Evolution and Structure and the Satellite Properties

Authors:

David J. Stevenson

Abstract:

I will describe our current (imperfect) understanding of Jupiter , Saturn , Uranus and Neptune with an emphasis on those aspects that may affect or determine the satellites that have formed around these planets.  Issues of particular interest include: Origin and consequence of the heavy element enrichment in the envelopes of these planets, limits on the timescales of formation and implications for accretional heating, short-lived radioisotopic heating and satellite differentiation, early tidal evolution and disk evolution, and the possible chemical processing within the disk s from which satellites formed.