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Chapter 14: Problem 13

. Discuss some competing explanations of why Uranus and Neptune are substantially smaller than Jupiter and Saturn.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The principal theories explaining why Uranus and Neptune are smaller than Jupiter and Saturn include the formation sequence, with Jupiter and Saturn forming first and thus accumulating more material; the distance from the sun, with the gas giants being closer and thus gathering more material before it was blown away; and the migration theory, with Jupiter and Saturn potentially increasing their size through a temporary inward migration early in the Solar System's history.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Size and Composition of the Planets

Uranus and Neptune are known as Ice Giants, while Jupiter and Saturn are Gas Giants. The majority of Jupiter and Saturn's mass comes from hydrogen and helium gas, while Uranus and Neptune contain ices including water, ammonia, and methane. In general, Ice Giants are smaller than Gas Giants.
02

Discuss the Formation Theory

One theory suggests the size difference is due to the planets' formation process. According to the core accretion model, planets form from the gas and dust particles of a protoplanetary disk around a star. Jupiter and Saturn, being closer to the sun, formed earlier, when more formation material was available, leading to their larger sizes.
03

Discuss the Distance from the Sun Theory

Another theory points to the planets’ distance from the sun. Jupiter and Saturn are closer to the sun and were able to gather more of the lighter gasses before the sun's radiation pressure blew this material away.
04

Discuss the Migration Theory

Finally, there's the migration theory. It suggests that all four planets formed far from the sun but Jupiter and Saturn migrated inward due to gravitational interactions. This migration would have occurred early in the Solar System's history, resulting in a temporary increase in the amount of gas they could gather and thus their sizes.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

How does the energy source for Uranus's atmospheric motions differ from those from Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune?

Use the Starry Night Enthusiast \({ }^{\text {TM }}\) program to examine the satellites of Uranus. (a) Select Solar System \(>\) Uranus from the Favourites menu. Remove the image of the astronaut's spacesuit by clicking on View \(>\) Feet in the menu and remove the background stars by selecting View \(>\) Stars \(>\) Stars from the menu. Use the Elevation buttons in the Viewing Location section of the toolbar to change the distance from the planet to about \(0.004\) AU. You should now be able to see at least five satellites of the planet Uranus. Which satellites are these? Select Label > Planets-Moons from the menu to confirm your identification of these satellites. (b) You can rotate the image of the planet and its moons by holding down the Shift key while clicking the mouse button and moving the mouse. Use this technique to rotate Uranus until you are looking at the plane of the satellites' orbits edge-on. Do all of the satellites appear to lie in the same plane? (To display the orbits of each of the moons, open the Find pane, expand the layer for Uranus, and click in the right-hand box next to each moon.) How do you imagine that this plane relates to the plane of Uranus's equator? Why do you suspect that this is so?

Some scientists are discussing the possibility of placing spacecraft in orbit about Uranus and Neptune. What kinds of data should be collected, and what questions would you like to see answered by these missions?

Why is it so difficult to see features in the atmosphere of Uranus?

Charon was discovered by an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory. Why do you suppose the U.S. Navy carries out work in astronomy? Search the World Wide Web for the answer. 52\. Search the World Wide Web for a list of trans-Neptunian objects. What are the largest and smallest objects of this sort that have so far been found, and how large are they? Have any objects larger than Eris been found? 53\. Separation of Pluto and Charon. Pluto is located about 4.5 billion km from Earth and has a maximum observable separation from Charon of about 0.9 arcseconds. Access the AIMM (Active Integrated Media Module) called “Small-Angle Toolbox” in Chapter 1 of the Universe Web site or eBook. Use this AIMM and the above data to determine the distance between Pluto and Charon. How does your answer compare with the value given in the text?
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