ASTR 3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Giant Planet, Metallic Hydrogen
28 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
Jovian planets are not quite spherical because of their rapid rotation. This is very helpful because we can probe their gravity eld to understand density vs radius. We can tell that both planets have a dense core: interiors of jovian planets. Cores made of hydrogen compounds, metals and rock. Models suggest cores of jovian planets have similar composition. Lower pressures inside uranus and neptune mean no metallic hydrogen. Energy inside jupiter comes from conversion of gravitation potential energy into thermal energy - mostly in the pass but a little today. Jupiter"s atmosphere: hydrogen compounds in jupiter form clouds, different cloud layers correspond to freezing points of different hydrogen compounds, jupiter"s strong magnetic eld gives it an enormous magnetosphere. Saturn"s rings: they are made up of numerous, tiny individual particles, they orbit around saturn"s equator, they are very thin, all four jovian planets have ring systems, others have smaller, darker ring particles than saturn.
