2023-06-18 02:00:32
As observation technology develops, it is known that there are many planets like Earth outside the solar system, and expectations for the discovery of life outside of Earth are rising. However, according to computer simulations in which frequently found terrestrial planets are placed in the solar system, it can be seen that the solar system is built on a sense of exquisite balance beyond what astronomers have ever thought.
A research team led by Steven Kaine of the University of California at Riverside published a paper in the Planetary Science Journal on the results of simulations of placing virtual planets in the solar system. The research team started this study with the goal of examining two gaps in the solar system. The first gap in the problem is the size difference between the terrestrial planet and the Geese planet in the solar system. The largest rocky planet in the Solar System is Earth and the smallest gas planet in the Solar System is Neptune, but Neptune is 4 times the size of Earth and 17 times the mass.
There is a difference in size between rocky planets such as Earth and Mars and gas planets such as Jupiter. According to the research team, the solar system has a significant gap in size between terrestrial and gas planets than other star systems. Other star systems have many planets with masses that fill this gap. Astronomers call these rocky planets with a mass greater than Earth super-earths.
The second gap is the gap between Mars and Jupiter. Outer planets in the inner planets, including Mars, can see large distances between planets. According to the research team, astronomers often feel that it would be perfect if there were some other planets in this Mars-Jupiter gap. To see what would happen if we filled this characteristic gap in the solar system, the research team placed planets of various sizes between Mars and Jupiter and analyzed how this affected the orbits of Earth-like planets.
As a result, it was found that if there is a super-earth between Mars and Jupiter, the earth will deviate from its orbit and be ejected from the solar system. If sunlight does not fall on the earth, the earth will become a star at the limit and all life on earth will die. In addition, it is said that not only the Earth, but also stars of the inner planetary system such as Mercury and Venus may come out of the solar system, and the orbits of Uranus and Neptune become unstable. The direct cause of this catastrophic event is that Super Earth deviates from Jupiter’s orbit. Jupiter is a gas giant with 318 times the mass of Earth, so even a slight deviation from the orbit caused by a terrestrial planet can have a serious impact on other planets.
The findings are also important for thinking regarding whether life might exist on extrasolar planets. Although there is only a 10% chance that a Jupiter-like planet, a gas planet far from the star, can be found in another star system, the existence of such a Jovian planet determines whether a terrestrial planet can obtain a stable environment. Jovian planets that help stabilize terrestrial planetary orbits in this way are called Good Jupiters.
Regarding this simulation experiment, the research team said that the solar system is more delicately adjusted than previously thought, and that the planets of the solar system are elaborately meshed like clockwork gears, so if unnecessary gears increase, everything will be broken. Related information this placecan be found in
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