Chapter 11

Synchrotron Radiation

The radiation emitted by charged particles being accelerated in magnetic fields and moving at speeds near that of light

Why does Jupiter have 3x the mass of Saturn, but is only slightly larger in diameter?

This is because that gas acts like a balloon. It can be squeezed and compressed, making it smaller even though it is far denser.

Jupiter's Red Spot

It is a cyclone that has been observed for 300 years

Distance and Orbital Period of the Jovian Planets:

Jupiter: 5 AU from the Sun and 12 Years to orbit. Saturn: 10 AU, 30 Years Uranus: 20 AU, 85 Years Neptune: 30 AU, 165 Years

How did the giant planets grow to be so large?

The Giant Planets grew to be so large due to the fact that the sun was far farther away than the terrestrial planets are to the sun. As such, due to being far away from the sun's heat, the Jovian planets were able to gather and accumulate gasses rather than have them evaporate - as was the case with the Terrestrial planets. The hydrogen and the helium that made up the giant planets couldn't escape from the gravitation of the planets' cores and began to build up and grow. As a result, they grew into massive planets, the gasses unable to escape due to their size.

Which planet has the strongest magnetic field, and hence the largest magnetosphere? What is its source?

- Jupiter has the strongest magnetic field, and hence the largest magnetosphere. - The source of Jupiter's magnetosphere is Jupiter's moon, Io, which has volcanic eruptions that blast charged particles into space and right into the jovian magnetosphere.

Photochemistry

Chemical changes caused by electromagnetic radiation

When was Uranus Discovered and By Who?

Discovered in 1781 by William Herschel. First planet discovered since ancient times.

Describe the differences in the chemical makeup of the inner and outer parts of the solar system. What is the relationship between what the planets are made of and the temperature where they formed?

- The differences in the chemical makeup of the inner and outer parts of the solar systems can be shown in their composition. The inner solar system (the terrestrial planets) have way more metals and heavier elements than the Jovian planets. To give you an example, you'd have to look no further than Earth, which has a crust that contains elements like iron, aluminum, silicon, ranging to even uranium. In comparison, the Jovian planets are all composed out of gasses. For example, Jupiter and Saturn have mostly hydrogen and helium, while Uranus and Neptune contain more carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. - The relationship between what the planets are made of and the temperatures where they are formed is huge. As the terrestrial planets were formed around the sun, they were much hotter than the Jovian Planets. As such, the terrestrial planets were unable to hold onto their lighter elements and they were evaporated. On the other hand, the Jovian Planets were far farther away from the sun than the terrestrial planets and were away from its heat, allowing the Jovian planets to keep growing and build up huge quantities of lighter elements.

What are the main challenges involved in sending probes to the giant planets?

- The distance between the Giant Planets are measured between years and decades, rather than the months required to reach the terrestrial planets. Furthermore, messages take hours to pass between Earth and whatever spacecraft is sent out, which means if a problem ever develops, we'd only learn of it hours later. - The spacecraft must have their own power sources as the sun is too far away to provide enough energy. As such, heaters are necessary in order to keep all of the technology operating at proper temperatures - The spacecraft must possess radio transmitters that are powerful enough to send data to the receivers on earth

Uranus and Neptune Interiors:

- Visible Clouds - Gaseous Hydrogen - Cores: Rock and metals, water, methane, and ammonia

Rings of Saturn

- Wide but thin - Main band extends about 30,000 km above its atmosphere to about twice Saturn's radius - Rings are made out of water-ice particles

Jovian Planets (Gas Giants)

1) Jupiter 2) Saturn 3) Uranus 4) Neptune

How many moons does Jupiter have?

64 Moons