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Investigating planetary interiors involves measuring inertia, observing seismic events, and studying magnetic fields. Learn about planetary heat loss mechanisms like conduction, convection, and radiation. Discover the dynamics of magnetic fields in gas giants and terrestrial worlds.
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How do we learn about planetary interiors? • Measure moment of inertia & average density • Observe seismic events • Study planetary magnetic fields
waves travel in straight lines unless diverted by the material they travel through. • refract due to density changes. • refract due to composition changes • reflect dues to boundary changes
Interiors and Magnetic Fields We can deduce that any world with a global magnetic field has 2 things: • It has an electrically conducting material within it. • The material is a moving, circulating liquid. (movement usually caused by the rapid rotation of a planet)
Interiors and Magnetic Fields Terrestrial Worlds like Earth have a 3rd • It has an electrically conducting material within it. • The material is a moving, circulating liquid. • It has two internal layers composed of a solid layer inside a liquid one.
Main Worlds with Active Magnetic Fields Strength Order: Sun, Gas giants, Earth, Mercury, Mars (remnant)
Interior of Gas Giant Worlds The magnetic fields of gas giants indicate that there are large amounts of circulating, electrically-conducting materials. Metallic hydrogen or water
Planets gain their initial internal heat energy by 3 main methods:- Kinetic Gravitational Radioactivity
Planet spend the rest of their lives losing internal energy to space
3 Types of Heat loss • Conduction -atoms vibrate strongly causing atoms next them to pick up energy • Convection- heat causes fluids to move, the hot fluid rises, the cold fluid sinks. • Radiation- photons of electromagnetic light carry energy away from the object
Which Forms of Heat Loss Work Where? • All worlds conduct inside. • All worlds radiate out to space (the only heat transfer that works in a vacuum!). • Larger worlds convect inside. • Largest worlds radiate inside.
Dominant Form of Internal Heat Loss Conduction -all small bodies: asteroids, comets, small only moons, Mercury, Moon, modern Mars Convection cells break the crust causing the surface to move with the convection -Earth Solid Convection cells heat the crust causing melting and volcanism Convection- Venus, early-middle Mars,earliest Moon and Mercury Gas-Sun(outer layers), gas giant planets all wavelengths -internal layer deep in theSun Radiation weakly at IR and longer for other worlds
Radiation inside Worlds • The hotter the world, the stronger the black-body curve and the more and shorter-wavelength radiation it emits. • Sun: hottest, visible light • Gas giants : IR • Rocky: some reflected radiation (not a black-body), some IR, some microwave and radio.
Radiation inside Worlds • The Sun has an internal zone where electro-magnetic radiation is emitted.