Density planets

A still different approach to multilayer adsorption considers that there is a potential field at the surface of a solid into which adsorbate molecules fall. The adsorbed layer thus resembles the atmosphere of a planet—it is most compressed at the surface of the solid and decreases in density outward. The general idea is quite old, but was first formalized by Polanyi in about 1914—see Brunauer [34]. As illustrated in Fig. XVII-12, one can draw surfaces of equipo-tential that appear as lines in a cross-sectional view of the surface region. The space between each set of equipotential surfaces corresponds to a definite volume, and there will thus be a relationship between potential U and volume 0. 

Magnetospheric plasmas are produced and heavily influenced by solar emissions and activity and by magnetic fields of the planets. Interplanetary plasmas result from solar emission processes alone. Protons in the solar wind have low densities (10—100/cm ) and temperatures below 10 to more than 10 K (1—10 eV). Their average outward kinetic energy from the sun is approximately 400 eV (58,59). The various 2ones and phenomena from the sun s visible surface to the upper atmosphere of the earth have been discussed (60—62). 

Table 25-IV begins this survey with a comparison of mass, radius, and density of the planets and the sun. These data are probably the most reliable facts known about the planets since...

Needless to say, the extreme difficulty we experience in probing the composition of the earth beneath us suggests that little is known about the inner composition of the planets. The evidence available is indirect (average density, sur-... 

Effects of condensation are also seen in the bulk compositions of the planets and their satellites. The outer planets, Uranus and Neptune, have overall densities consistent with their formation from icy and stony solids. The satellites of Uranus have typical densities of 1.3g/cm which would tend to indicate a large ice com-... 

The blanket of air that cloaks our planet behaves as an ideal gas, but the atmosphere is bound to the Earth by gravitational attraction, not by confining walls. The pres-sure exerted by the atmosphere can be thought of as the pressure of a column of air. Just as the pressure exerted by mercuiy in a barometer is the pressure of the column of mercury. The higher we rise into the atmosphere, the less air there is above us. Less air above us means that the pressure exerted by the column of air is lower. Lower pressure, in turn, means lower molecular density, as indicated... 

C20-0113. On Earth, two posttransition metals, A1 and Pb, are used when low- and high-density metals are desired. Suppose you are transported to a planet elsewhere in our galaxy, where all transition metals are readily available but posttransition metals are rare. Where among the transition metals would you seek a replacement for A1 for low-density uses, and where would you seek a replacement for Pb for high-density uses Explain your reasoning. 

This relationship was derived by Poincare and defines the range of frequencies, where the earth or any planet is not broken. The remarkable feature of this inequality is the fact that it is independent of the dimensions of the planet, and only the density defines the maximal permissible frequency. Introducing the period T, we represent Equation (2.102) as... 

The flattening of our figure of equilibrium is defined by the ratio oj jlndk and depends only on the angular velocity and density of a fluid, but it is independent of a size. Because of this the dimensions of a planet do not affect its flattening. 

A planet of smaller density has to have a larger flattening, provided that the angular velocity is the same. 

The inner, or terrestrial, planets, from Mercury to Mars, including the planetoids. These have masses between 0.06 and 1 Earth masses, densities between 3,000 and 5,500 kg/m3, and similar structures ... 

The planet Jupiter occupies a special position in the solar system. It is the largest and heaviest planet, with a mass of 1/1,047 that of the sun. Jupiter consists almost solely of hydrogen and helium with a ratio similar to that found in the sun itself He H 1 10. Small amounts of some heavier elements are present, such as B, N, P, S, C and Ge. The density of Jupiter has been calculated as 1,300 kg/m3. Its atmosphere can be divided into three zones (starting from the outermost) ... 

The transit method requires that the central star, the planet and the observer are connected by a line of sight. The dark planet passes across the light source and thus diminishes its light intensity to some extent. Observation is only possible when observer, star and planet are in a favourable position, i.e., the planet lies between the star and the observer. In spite of this requirement, the method permits the discovery of planets of about the size of the Earth information is also available on the size, mass and density of the planet as well as on its orbit. Because of its limits of applicability, this method is not often used. In the case of the star OGLE-TR-56, it was possible to detect an extrasolar planet, the orbit of which is very close to its sun only a twentieth of the distance of Mercury away from it. The temperature of the planet was determined to be around 1,900 K its diameter is about 1.3 times larger than that of Jupiter, its density about 500 kg/m3 (Brown, 2003 Konacki, 2003). 

Using the numbers quoted above and the derived mass of the Earth gives pc = 5.52 gem-3, which, by comparison with the density of other materials measured in the laboratory, means that the Earth must be made of rock, and heavy rock at that. The mass of the other planets can be determined from their orbital periods and their radii can be measured, for example, from rates of transit in front of the Sun, and so the density of the other planets within the solar system can then be determined (Table 7.1). 

Planet Semi-major axis (AU) Sideral period (Earth-year) Mass (Earth-mass) Diameter (Earth- diameter) Density (g cm"3) Diurnal temperature variation (K)... 

The density estimates in Table 7.1 show a distinction between the structures of the planets, with Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars all having mean densities consistent with a rocky internal structure. The Earth-like nature of their composition, orbital periods and distance from the Sun enable these to be classified as the terrestrial planets. Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus have very low densities and are simple gas giants, perhaps with a very small rocky core. Neptune and Pluto clearly contain more dense materials, perhaps a mixture of gas, rock and ice. 

Iron catastrophe Melting and fractionation of the interior of a planet, resulting in a molten core in which the density of iron causes in to sink to the core of the planet... 

Planet Earth acquired an ocean early in its history, probably by 3.8 billion years before present. Most of the water is thought to have been released during the process of differentiation in which density-driven convection and cooling caused the still-molten planet to separate into layers of decreasing density, i.e., core, mantle, crust, and atmosphere. Once the crust had cooled sufficiently, gaseous water condensed to form a permanent ocean. 

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