Jupiter's position in the outer solar system can be explained through the process of planet formation and the migration of giant planets.
According to the prevailing scientific hypothesis known as the "Nice model," the formation of Jupiter and other giant planets is thought to have occurred further inward in the early solar system, closer to the Sun. The Nice model suggests that the giant planets initially formed as rocky cores in the inner regions of the solar system, where solid materials were more abundant. These cores then began to accumulate hydrogen and helium gas from the surrounding protoplanetary disk, growing into gas giants.
As the gas giants formed, their gravitational interactions with other objects in the solar system, such as smaller planets and planetesimals (small rocky or icy bodies), caused their orbits to become unstable. These gravitational interactions led to a process known as planet migration, during which the giant planets moved from their original formation locations to new positions.
In the case of Jupiter, the Nice model proposes that it migrated inward initially, scattering smaller objects and disrupting the orbits of other planets. However, as Jupiter interacted with Saturn and Uranus, its gravitational influence caused a series of gravitational encounters, leading to a gravitational slingshot effect. These interactions resulted in Jupiter's migration outward, towards its current position in the outer solar system.
The Nice model suggests that this migration process occurred over millions of years, with Jupiter and the other giant planets dynamically interacting with each other and with smaller objects in the solar system. This migration also influenced the structure and arrangement of other planets and smaller bodies in the early solar system.
It's important to note that the migration of giant planets is a complex and ongoing field of research, and while the Nice model provides a plausible explanation, it is still an area of active investigation in planetary science.