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Post by goduranus on Aug 14, 2017 12:56:01 GMT
So, looking at CDE's density figures, hydrogen and helium are overwhelming lighter than anything else, particularly molecular gases. So, that made me wonder, why don't clouds of Jupiter or Saturn sink to the bottom right away and produce an atmosphere of pure hydrogen and helium? On earth water vapor can form clouds because there's plenty of other heavier molecules for the water vapor to float on, but gas giants are mostly hydrogen, and even supposed have lighter hydrogen sunk in their cores.
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Post by The Astronomer on Aug 14, 2017 13:32:57 GMT
Is it because the planet's strong winds and gas convection?
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Post by goduranus on Aug 14, 2017 13:44:21 GMT
Ahh, so it's like a sandstorm.
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Post by matterbeam on Aug 15, 2017 21:22:42 GMT
Ahh, so it's like a sandstorm. Pretty much this. Even light winds can keep ammonia crystals aloft. On Earth, water droplets (1000kg/m^3) can form clouds which float above regular air (1.2kg/m^3) due to vertical winds.
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Post by Rocket Witch on Aug 16, 2017 12:29:17 GMT
gas giants are mostly hydrogen, and even supposed have lighter hydrogen sunk in their cores. How is something with more mass supposed to end up with less density? Just an effect of reaching thresholds where you can keep progressively lighter (and vastly more abundant) elements from escaping? I reckon the 'gas' giants do have large solid bodies under exponentially thicker atmospheres though; I don't see why they wouldn't.
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Post by n2maniac on Aug 20, 2017 8:45:24 GMT
gas giants are mostly hydrogen, and even supposed have lighter hydrogen sunk in their cores. How is something with more mass supposed to end up with less density? Just an effect of reaching thresholds where you can keep progressively lighter (and vastly more abundant) elements from escaping? I reckon the 'gas' giants do have large solid bodies under exponentially thicker atmospheres though; I don't see why they wouldn't. The extremely abundant hydrogen (and less abundant helium) manages to stay put on gas giants. On the solar system's inner planets those basically escape into space pretty readily.
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