1
Class,
This week I found the portion about atmosphere science particularly
interesting. I learned that the atmosphere composition is directly related
to the escape velocity and temperature of the planet. Gravity holds the
atmospheric particles in place, the stronger the gravity of the planet, the
higher the escape velocity. At the same time, the closer to the sun and
therefore hotter the planet, the higher the velocity of the atmospheric
particles. This determines what types of gases each planet can "hold" to
create the atmosphere.
This relates to real life in many ways. One, it partially explains why
atmospheric pressure is higher near the surface than it is at higher
altitudes, where the force of gravity is weaker. This effects many things,
from our ability to breath to the performance of aircraft. Two, it explains
the composition of our atmosphere, which is in a delicate balance of gases
that we need to survive. If temperatures on our planet change enough,
over a long time it will change the composition of the atmosphere.
This picture gives an idea of the kind of characteristics that atmospheric
particles need to escape from the atmosphere of a planet. According to
our book, the planet cannot hold parts of the atmosphere long term if they
it's particles have any greater than 1/6th of the escape velocity of the
planet. Does anyone have an idea on why this might be?
Reference
Strobel, N. (2022). [Infographic].
https://www.astronomynotes.com/solarsys/s3.htm
