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April 17, 20260 citationsOpen Access

Formation of the Moon by secession of a collective flow from the intertropical belt. Fully fluid regime, Λ ∗ criterion, hydrodynamic phase transition, bifurcation, collective mode and coherent ejection dynamics

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MDMichel DEBAILLEUL

Key Points

  • This work aims to propose a novel theory for the Moon's formation, contrasting with the Giant Impact hypothesis.
  • Theoretical framework based on physical dynamics in the early Solar System
  • Utilization of the Λ criterion to analyze fluid behavior
  • Examination of ejection dynamics and mass ejection variation in a supercritical regime
  • Proposes a measure of Moon mass ejected per episode as approximately 10²² kg
  • Identifies conditions leading to the formation of a lunar debris disk within the Roche limit
  • Predicts a relationship between the Moon's mass and rotational dynamics of the proto-Earth

Abstract

Formation of the Moon by intertropical secession of a collective flow: fully fluid regime, Λ criterion, hydrodynamic phase transition, bifurcation, collective mode, and coherent ejection dynamics This work proposes a physically autonomous alternative to the Giant Impact hypothesis for the formation of the Moon. It is set in the tumultuous context of the early Solar System (~4. 55–4. 50 Ga), characterized by a high density of unaccreted objects, an active T-Tauri Sun, and a fully fluid proto-Earth with a torrid silicate atmosphere (T ~ 2, 000–4, 000 K), maintained by the absence of an insulating crust. The mechanism relies on a supercritical pitchfork bifurcation governed by the dimensionless control parameter Λ* = α₀ Ω τν (T), which compares rotational power injection to viscous dissipation. When Λ* exceeds unity, the tropical band (±15–30° latitude) becomes unstable. Taylor–Proudman columns focus the flow, and the dominant global azimuthal mode (m = 1, ℓ = 1) emerges. The flow accelerates exponentially toward a critical velocity Ucrit ≈ 11. 3 km/s. Each secession episode ejects a mass Mₑj ≈ 10²² kg (≈ MMoon/7), with kinetic energy Eₖ ≈ 7. 4 |Eₒrb|, forming a debris disk at r ≈ 2. 0 R_⊕, inside the Roche limit. Accretion onto a seed core ≲200 km builds the Moon over 5–14 episodes, spanning ~40 Myr. The lunar iron deficit and near-isotopic identity (O, W, Ti, Cr, Si) arise naturally: the ejected material originates from the silicate mantle already depleted by rapid core segregation (<30 Myr, Hf–W chronology), with no ad hoc adjustment. The process self-extinguishes as cooling increases viscosity, reducing Reᵣot below a critical threshold. Falsifiable predictions include: MMoon ∝ Ω² (testable on exoplanets), a T-Tauri solar wind signature in primitive lunar materials, a radial Fe/Si lunar gradient, a small out-of-plane velocity component vᵦ ≈ 17 m/s, and zonally structured mantle heterogeneities on Earth. This work is explicitly submitted to the simulation community (SPH, GFD, N-body) for testing, validation, or refutation. It is an open theoretical proposal, not a definitive demonstration.

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Cite This Study

Michel DEBAILLEUL (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69e1ce895cdc762e9d857937https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19595627
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