Module 7

Thursday, July 20, 2017

7:29 PM
7.1 Formation of Solar System

SS is organized in 3 senses
-dynamical properties
-physical properties
-spacing and positino

1.Dynamical Properties
Orbits
-nearly circular
-same direction
-spin in same plan
Rotation
-rotate anticlockwise and orbit anticlockwise
-Spin axis is perpendicular to the orbit plan

2.Physical Properties
-inner
-small and dense
-Jovian
-large, and not dense
Why are the rocky planets near the sun

1. Spacing and Position

- planets must be reasonably far apart for long term stability

Bode's law
-Just random math

Solar System Formation

-haphazard accumulation
-Uniquely catastrophic event
- Routine Formation

Catastrophic event (Star Passing by)

-explains the sizing distribution
- But it is very unlikley for stars to pass close by eachother
-Gas pulled of the passing star would not condense into planets
-it would just evaporate because it is so hot
-Angular Momentum
-planets rotate quickley but sun rotates slowly
Nebular
- Clould of interstellar gas
-contains elements
-cloud starts to shrink under own gravity
-as it shrinks it begins to spin faster
-as it spins faster it flattens out
-centre gets very hot
-All happens very fast

Gas clouds
-Gas is warm and random motions hold the coulds together
-preventing the nebular creation
-in order to trigger collapse
-you need a supernova shockwave
-or you need to cool the gas
-made mostly of hydrogen and helium

Why are the rocky planets near the sun

-only the heavy elements can condense at such temperature
-light elemetns will evaportate away
-that is why inferior planets are small
-Jovian planets are larger and more gasious because all elements are allowed to condense

Dynamical Behaviour
-any planets going in a different direction will get hit
-self regulating system

7.2 the complete solar system

Where does the leftover gas in the nebula go?
-t tauri stars are very young stars with strong stellar winds
-these winds blow the gas away

Detecting planets
-direct imaging
-hard
 -doppler shift
-transits

Kepler Space Telescope

-used to detect transits
Selection bias in detecting planets
-planets large in size are easy to find because it produces more noticable transits
-large mass planets are easy because they produce a larger wobble
-Planets closer to the star are easier to find because it is more likley to produce a transit and
create a noticable wobble

Why do so many Jupiter Like planets form near the star

-planets are able to migrate
- Plantes can even be kicked out

7.3 Atoms
- neutrons weight = proton weight
- atomic number = number of protons in nucleus= number of electrons
-determines how atom interacts with other atoms
-atomic mass
-Protons +neutrons
-Isotope
-same elents with different number of neutron
-element is chemically the same but has a different mass
-some isotopes are unstable
-meaning they break apart and release energy
-leads to radioactivity
Radioactivity
-alpha decay
-you lose mass (eithier protons or neutron)
-elements becomes a new element and energy is released
-beta decay
-an electron is released
-Gamma decay
-can cause cancer
-can also be used for chemo

7.4 Age of the Solar System

Decay
-Decay of atoms is based on probability
- Atoms do not age but we can estimate what proportion of atoms will decay within a given
sample
-As atoms decay it is transformed into another elemnt
Half Life
-Time it takes for half the atoms to decay
-this time is from the latest melting and recrystalization that formed the mineral

To determine the age we need

- half life of the decay element
-Did the original sample have any daughter product in it
-was any of the daughter product lost
- get over this problem by taking a sample from the deep interior of the rock
-carbon dating
-all living things maintain an average level of carbon 14 until the die
-by comparing the proportion of c14 we can work out how long ago someone died