PHYS 1901 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Gas Torus, Earth Radius, Methane
15 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
1 saturn: read chapter 12 in the textbook, exercises: do all review and discussion and all conceptual self-test , basic properties. Second largest planet in the solar system again, very di erent from the terrestrial worlds. 95 earth masses, 9. 5 earth radius, density 0. 7gm/cm3. Many moons 18 over 10km in diameter, 56 known. Orbital parameters 9. 54 au, 29. 4 years. Fast rotation rate in solar system 0. 45 earth days. Rotation di erential equatorial regions rotate faster than polar regions. Fast rotation leads to oblateness most in solar system. Interesting moons, especially titan a moon with its own atmosphere: atmosphere of saturn. Band exist, but less colourful, harder to see. H2 92. 4% he 7. 4% trace amounts of methane and ammonia. Primary gases never escaped strong gravity. Less helium than jupiter not the result of formation. Total cloud thickness 200km compared to 80km for jupiter lower gravity. Temperature a bit lower further from the sun.
