Tag

Planetary Formation

All articles tagged with #planetary formation

science21 days ago•13 min saved

One-Molecule Carbon Layer Dictates Charging of Identical Particles

Scientists used acoustic levitation to study charge transfer between identical silica grains and found that a microscopic adventitious carbon layer on surfaces governs the charging behavior. Removing this carbon eliminates charging; allowing the layer to reform restores and even flips the charge. This resolves the symmetry problem for identical materials and has implications for natural phenomena like dust storms and volcanic lightning, as well as for theories of planetary formation and the origin of life. The findings were published in Nature.

via ZME Science|

#acoustic-levitation #adventitious-carbon #planetary-formation

space24 days ago•7 min saved

Astronomers Catch a Planetary Collision in Action, Leaving a Hot Debris Glow

Astronomers studying Gaia20ehk (Gaia-GIC-1) observed a star whose visible light dimmed while infrared emission surged, consistent with a hot debris cloud from a recent collision between two planetesimals about 1.1 AU from the star, roughly 11,000 light-years away. The infrared glow persisted for years, offering a rare live glimpse into rocky-planet formation; future monitoring with JWST and the Rubin Observatory could reveal more such impacts.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#astronomy #exoplanets #infrared

space26 days ago•6 min saved

Distant Star Hints at Clash of Baby Planets

Astronomers studying Gaia-GIC-1, a Sun-like star about 11,600 light-years away, observed dramatic brightness dips (up to 25%) starting in 2016 with an opposite infrared brightening later, suggesting a hot dust cloud heated to ~900 K. Modeling indicates a collision between planetesimals near 1 AU, with dust mass around half that of Ceres, providing a rare glimpse into early planetary formation and a potential parallel to the Earth–Moon formation event.

via ScienceAlert|

#earth-moon-formation #gaia-gic-1 #infrared-observations

world1 month ago•3 min saved

Inside-Out Exoplanet System Upends Formation Theory

CHEOPS observations reveal four planets orbiting the red dwarf LHS 1903 far closer to their star than Mercury is to the Sun: two rocky super-Earths and two gaseous mini-Neptunes. The outermost planet, surprisingly rocky, challenges standard models that predict rocky worlds close in and gas giants farther out, suggesting an 'inside-out' assembly in which gas was depleted by inner planets or the atmosphere was stripped after formation. With a mass of about 5.8 Earth masses and a surface temperature around 60°C, it could be marginally habitable, and future JWST studies could probe its atmosphere.

via Dawn|

#cheops #exoplanets #habitability

space2 months ago•2 min saved

Jupiter Found to Be 1.5x Oxygen-Rich Compared to the Sun

Using data from NASA's Juno and Galileo missions, researchers built a combined chemistry–hydrodynamics model of Jupiter's atmosphere. They find Jupiter may contain about 1.5 times the Sun's oxygen—far more than earlier estimates of roughly one-third—much of which is in water. The study also shows gas diffusion in Jupiter's atmosphere could be 35–40 times slower than previously thought, a result that informs theories about how the planet formed from icy material near the frost line.

via Futurism|

#atmosphere #juno #jupiter

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Jupiter’s Hidden Oxygen Upends Our View of Its Formation

Scientists built the most detailed model yet of Jupiter’s atmosphere by merging chemistry with hydrodynamics, estimating about 1.5 times more oxygen than the Sun, which helps resolve debates about Jupiter’s composition and its formation, and suggesting the planet’s atmospheric circulation is far slower than previously thought.

via ScienceDaily|

#atmosphere #hydrodynamics #jupiter

space2 months ago•3 min saved

Oxygen Clues Rewrite Jupiter’s Formation Story

New 1D chemistry and 2D hydrodynamic models suggest Jupiter contains about 1.5 times more oxygen than the Sun and that its atmospheric circulation is slower than previously thought, refining theories of gas-giant formation; the work builds on NASA’s Juno data revealing complex weather and a possible fuzzy core, as the mission continues through 2025 with a planned end that preserves the moons from Earth microbes.

via Universe Today|

#atmosphere #juno #jupiter

space2 months ago•73 min saved

New simulations suggest Jupiter harbors 1.5 times the Sun’s oxygen

A detailed set of simulations modeling Jupiter’s interior atmosphere finds the gas giant contains about 1.5 times more oxygen than the Sun, likely due to Jupiter’s early accretion of icy material beyond the snow line. The models couple atmospheric chemistry with hydrodynamics, explaining why deep oxygen (mostly in water) is hidden from direct measurement and suggesting slower deep atmospheric circulation (gas movement taking weeks). The findings support formation scenarios for Jupiter and offer insight into the solar system’s history, with the study published Jan 8 in the Planetary Science Journal.

via Space|

#jupiter #oxygen #planetary-formation

science3 months ago•3 min saved

NASA's Hubble Reveals Violent Collisions and a Vanishing Planet

Astronomers observed what they thought was a planet around star Fomalhaut, but it vanished due to a collision between asteroid-sized bodies, creating a debris cloud. A second similar object appeared nearby, indicating violent impacts rather than a new planet, challenging existing models of planetary formation and raising concerns for future exoplanet detection methods.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#dust-cloud #exoplanet #fomalhaut

science3 months ago•3 min saved

Ancient Earth Rocks Rewrite Continental History

A study in Nature Communications reveals that Earth's oldest rocks, dating back 3.7 billion years, suggest that continental crust formation occurred much later than previously thought, around 3.5 billion years ago, and support the theory that Earth and the Moon share a common origin from the same primordial material, reinforcing the Giant Impact Hypothesis.

via Indian Defence Review|

#ancient-rocks #earths-crust #geology

science3 months ago•2 min saved

NASA Webb Discovers Bizarre Lemon-Shaped Exoplanet with Unusual Atmosphere

Astronomers using NASA's Webb Telescope discovered a lemon-shaped exoplanet, PSR J2322-2650 b, orbiting a pulsar with a unique helium-and-carbon atmosphere, challenging existing models of planetary formation and survival under extreme conditions.

via Mashable|

#carbon-atmosphere #exoplanet #nasa-webb-telescope

science3 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Discover Massive Water Reservoir Hidden Deep Within Earth's Mantle

Scientists have discovered evidence suggesting that Earth's lower mantle may contain a massive, hidden water reservoir, potentially larger than all surface oceans combined, stored within mineral structures like bridgmanite, which could significantly impact our understanding of Earth's water cycle, planetary formation, and geological processes.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#earths-interior #geology #mantle-hydration

science4 months ago•4 min saved

Hidden Earth Structures and Their Role in Our Planet's Origins

A new study suggests that the two massive structures beneath Earth's surface, known as LLSVPs, are remnants of the planet's early magma ocean, formed by chemical interactions with the core during Earth's formation, which could reshape our understanding of Earth's deep interior and its habitability.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#earths-interior #geochemistry #llsvps

science5 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Find 4.5-Billion-Year-Old Proto-Earth Remnants Deep Within Our Planet

MIT researchers have discovered chemical remnants in meteorites and ancient rocks that provide the first tangible evidence of proto-Earth's original material, revealing insights into the planet's early composition before the giant impact that formed the Moon.

via Yahoo|

#earths-composition #meteorites #planetary-formation

science5 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Find 4.5-Billion-Year-Old Proto-Earth Remnants Deep Within Our Planet

MIT researchers have discovered chemical remnants in ancient rocks and meteorites that suggest they contain traces of proto-Earth's original material, providing new insights into the planet's early composition and the impact that shaped its evolution.

via Futurism|

#earths-origin #meteorites #planetary-formation