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RE: Nuclear Planet in DISCOVER

There are a lot of variables which come into play here. I'll give you a basic outline of the process in a sort of time-line:

Formation of Elements and Solar System



I.   Big Bang- ca. 16 ga B. P.



     A.   The first second

          1.   Incredibly hot and tiny, but expanding 

          2.   esoteric atomic forms and combined forces

          3.   >0.01 sec: protons (H nuclei), neutrons, electrons,

               and photons

          4.   protons and neutrons composed of quarks 

     B.   The first 3 minutes

          1.   Nuclei of He formed + tiny amount of 7Li

          2.   H:He (nuclei)=12:1 > mass 75% H, 25% He nuclei

          3.   photons destroyed so universe opaque

          4.   forces: gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak

               nuclear forces

     C.   After ca. 700,000 years

          1.   Temperature 3000 K

          2.   Nuclei combine to make atoms

          3.   Photons can travel infinite distance

          4.   Present view to this distance shows red shift from

               3000 deg down to 2.7 deg K

     D.   Nucleosynthesis (Creation of elements)

          1.   First stars only H and He

          2.   Fission inside stars: H ->He->C,O,Ne,Mg,Si,S -> Fe

          3.   Slow burning beyond Fe no longer exothermic- E=mc^2

          4.   Large stars collapse when all Fe burned and go

               supernova -> elements heavier than Fe formed

          5.   H/He still 98% total mass 

     E.   Differentiation and condensation of Solar nebula

          1.   Likely caused ca. 4.6 ga B.P. by nearby supernova

          2.   Hotter inside from compression

          3.   inside rotating faster, flattened to disk

          4.   Hydrogen at center hot enough and high enough

               pressure to start nuclear fusion..became star

          5.   Only took 20 my

          6.   Solar wind blew gas and small dust from inner

               system.

          7.   Sun's fast rotation slowed by magnetic braking

          8.   different compounds and minerals condensed at

               different distances from Sun due to strong

               temperature gradient

     F.   Planetary accretion

          1.   small particles started to stick together initially

               from electrostatic attraction

          2.   collisions welded together small bodies until they

               had enough gravity to pull in more

          3.   many more small than large bodies

          4.   inner planets formed either without much

               atmosphere, or primary atmosphere blown away by T-

               Tauri phase of Sun

          5.   Outer planets retained primary atmospheres

          6.   accretion inhibited in asteroid belt by Jupiter's

               gravity

          7.   most of solar nebula blown away, some bodies

               ejected to Oort cloud (comet source)

    

Let me know if that helps any. 

Floyd W.Flanigan B.S.Nuc.H.P.

These,as usual are only my opinions. They are all anyone has but you are welcome to them.



-----Original Message-----

From: Kim D. Merritt [mailto:k.merritt@larc.nasa.gov]

Sent: Monday, July 22, 2002 8:17 AM

To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: RE: Nuclear Planet in DISCOVER





I am no geologist by any a stretch of the imagination, so you will have to 

forgive me for asking more questions.



Shouldn't this theory be able to be applied to other planets?  If the 

elements in the pre-planetary accretion disc were stratified by gravity, 

wouldn't Venus and Mercury have a high chance of having a higher 

concentration of fissionable isotopes in their core?  If the nuclear core 

is a product of your position in the solar system how does Jupiter manage 

to generate so much heat?  Also, how does a five mile ball of uranium fit 

into the model of earth's estimated mass?



Also, what does this do for those long lived "naturally abundant" isotopes 

on our planet which are not part of the natural decay series?  Are they 

early fission products or cosmogenic?



To bad we don't have any planetary geologists on the list.  I knew one but 

lost track of him a few years ago.



More semi-ignorant ramblings from yours truly.







Kim Merritt, RRPT

Radiation/Laser Safety Officer

NASA Langley Research Center

Hampton, VA

(757)864-3210

<mailto:k.merritt@larc.nasa.gov>



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