CAS AS 101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Methane, Ammonium Sulfide, Metallic Hydrogen
8 Sep 2016
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Jupiter and saturn: mostly h and he gases. Uranus and neptune: mostly hydrogen compounds- water, methane, ammonia some h, he, and rock. Uranus and neptune are denser than saturn because they have less h/he proportionally. Adding mass to a jovian planet compresses the underlying gas layers. Greater compression is why jupiter is not much larger than saturn even though it is three times more massive. Jovian planets with even more mass can be smaller than jupiter. Jovian planets are not quite spherical because of their rapid rotation. Cores (about 10 earth masses), made of hydrogen compounds, metal, and rock. The layers are different for the different planets. Models suggest cores of jovian planets have similar composition. Lower pressures inside uranus and neptune mean no metallic hydrogen. High pressures inside jupiter cause phase of hydrogen to change with depth. Hydrogen acts like a metal at great depths because its electrons move freely.
