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I've always wondered about the core of these gas giants. I assume it is some liquid form of light elements. What is puzzling is the presence of the gas giants i

I've always wondered about the core of these gas giants. I assume it is some liquid form of light elements. What is puzzling is the presence of the gas giants in the middle of solar system's planetary line up: why are they in the middle and the ones closer or further away from the central star are not like them? Is it the temperature gradient?

GolfPopper 1y ago
I am not an astronomer (save in the very amateur sense), but I think it has to do with Jupiter forming both early in the history of solar system, and, as you guess, beyond the Sun's 'snow line'. Wikipedia is a good place to start getting a feel for the possible history of the Solar System: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Formation_and_migration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Formation_and_migratio... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_tack_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_tack_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice_model https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice_model
Tepix 1y ago
> I assume it is some liquid form of light elements. Why would you assume that? The heavier elements such as iron are likelier to move to the center of gravity.
- k__ 1y ago
  I'd assume these elements would be created in the sun and keep close to the sun, because of their higher mass.
  - frutiger 1y ago
    All the heavier elements were created in a former star that went supernova. The solar system formed from the gas/dust after that. The heavier elements being formed in our sun now are going to stay there until something can tear it apart.
    - pfdietz 1y ago
      Some will be ejected back into space when the aged Sun becomes a planetary nebula (with a white dwarf at the center).
  - bell-cot 1y ago
    Until several billion years in the future, our sun will create no element heavier then helium. IIR, our sun's mass is far too low to ever create any element heavier than carbon.
mystified5016 1y ago
The core of Jupiter is thought to contain metallic hydrogen.
- yubblegum 1y ago
  Found this on the wiki for metalic hydrogen. Apprently there is a liquid phase as well. Apparently there is debate as to whether there is a solid core besides the hydrogen (thought shown in the pic): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Jupiter_diagram.svg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Jupiter_...
twic 1y ago
It's made from something which can generate magnetic fields, since Jupiter has a very strong magnetic field with a lot of distinct inhomogeneous features, resulting in some interesting radio emissions: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/science/jupiters-magnetic-field-and-radiation-belts https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/science/jupiters-mag... https://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/library/sci_briefs/decametric.htm https://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/library/sci_briefs/decametri... The rotation of these features is the basis for the "system III" definition of longitude on Jupiter.
everyone 1y ago
In an Arthur C Clarke story (I forget which one) the core of jupiter is a planet sized diamond.
- ReptileMan 1y ago
  Space Odyssey one of the sequels.
  - teamonkey 1y ago
    2061. Not his best work, alas.
    - bell-cot 1y ago
      Actually 2010, in the closing words of Chap. 38. Though I agree that 2061 fell rather short of his usual.
yencabulator 1y ago
> Data from the Juno mission showed that Jupiter has a diffuse core that mixes into its mantle, extending for 30–50% of the planet's radius, and comprising heavy elements with a combined mass 7–25 times the Earth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Internal_structure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Internal_structure > This has resulted in the theory that Jupiter does not have a solid core as previously thought, but a "fuzzy" core made of pieces of rock and metallic hydrogen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_(spacecraft)#Scientific_results https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_(spacecraft)#Scientific_r...
mnky9800n 1y ago
Because of solar wind. After the sun formed from the material of the proto solar system it started producing solar winds. This pushes light elements to the edge of the solar system but heavy elements stay. So rocky planets form. Then the light elements collect as well and reenter the interior solar system as comets which redeposit light elements on the surface of rocky planets. In the mean time the light elements that collected together in great quantities formed the gas planets. This is all a very traditional view afaik and doesn’t explain where mantle light elements come from. For example there is a great deal of water that is in the mantle that drives geochemical changes in the mantle rocks. Was that there originally? Or was it put their after plate tectonics started and subduction sucked water into the mantle? I don’t know but I would assume there are plenty of geodynamics people who would have opinions more deeper than mine on the topic.
dragonwriter 1y ago
They aren't in the middle of the “planetary lineup”. The four inner planets are all terrestrial. The four outer planets are gas (the last fwl sometimes distinguished instead as “ice”) giants. There are dwarf planets (a separate category from, rather than sibcategory of, planets) closer and farther, but no known rocky planets beyond the gas/ice giants.

GolfPopper 1y ago

I am not an astronomer (save in the very amateur sense), but I think it has to do with Jupiter forming both early in the history of solar system, and, as you guess, beyond the Sun's 'snow line'. Wikipedia is a good place to start getting a feel for the possible history of the Solar System: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Formation_and_migration https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Formation_and_migratio... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_tack_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_tack_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice_model https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nice_model

Tepix 1y ago

> I assume it is some liquid form of light elements. Why would you assume that? The heavier elements such as iron are likelier to move to the center of gravity.

k__ 1y ago
I'd assume these elements would be created in the sun and keep close to the sun, because of their higher mass.
- frutiger 1y ago
  All the heavier elements were created in a former star that went supernova. The solar system formed from the gas/dust after that. The heavier elements being formed in our sun now are going to stay there until something can tear it apart.
  - pfdietz 1y ago
    Some will be ejected back into space when the aged Sun becomes a planetary nebula (with a white dwarf at the center).
- bell-cot 1y ago
  Until several billion years in the future, our sun will create no element heavier then helium. IIR, our sun's mass is far too low to ever create any element heavier than carbon.

mystified5016 1y ago

The core of Jupiter is thought to contain metallic hydrogen.

yubblegum 1y ago
Found this on the wiki for metalic hydrogen. Apprently there is a liquid phase as well. Apparently there is debate as to whether there is a solid core besides the hydrogen (thought shown in the pic): https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Jupiter_diagram.svg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Jupiter_...

twic 1y ago

It's made from something which can generate magnetic fields, since Jupiter has a very strong magnetic field with a lot of distinct inhomogeneous features, resulting in some interesting radio emissions: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/science/jupiters-magnetic-field-and-radiation-belts https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/science/jupiters-mag... https://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/library/sci_briefs/decametric.htm https://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/library/sci_briefs/decametri... The rotation of these features is the basis for the "system III" definition of longitude on Jupiter.

everyone 1y ago

In an Arthur C Clarke story (I forget which one) the core of jupiter is a planet sized diamond.

ReptileMan 1y ago
Space Odyssey one of the sequels.
- teamonkey 1y ago
  2061. Not his best work, alas.
  - bell-cot 1y ago
    Actually 2010, in the closing words of Chap. 38. Though I agree that 2061 fell rather short of his usual.

yencabulator 1y ago

> Data from the Juno mission showed that Jupiter has a diffuse core that mixes into its mantle, extending for 30–50% of the planet's radius, and comprising heavy elements with a combined mass 7–25 times the Earth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Internal_structure https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter#Internal_structure > This has resulted in the theory that Jupiter does not have a solid core as previously thought, but a "fuzzy" core made of pieces of rock and metallic hydrogen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_(spacecraft)#Scientific_results https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_(spacecraft)#Scientific_r...

mnky9800n 1y ago

Because of solar wind. After the sun formed from the material of the proto solar system it started producing solar winds. This pushes light elements to the edge of the solar system but heavy elements stay. So rocky planets form. Then the light elements collect as well and reenter the interior solar system as comets which redeposit light elements on the surface of rocky planets. In the mean time the light elements that collected together in great quantities formed the gas planets. This is all a very traditional view afaik and doesn’t explain where mantle light elements come from. For example there is a great deal of water that is in the mantle that drives geochemical changes in the mantle rocks. Was that there originally? Or was it put their after plate tectonics started and subduction sucked water into the mantle? I don’t know but I would assume there are plenty of geodynamics people who would have opinions more deeper than mine on the topic.

dragonwriter 1y ago

They aren't in the middle of the “planetary lineup”. The four inner planets are all terrestrial. The four outer planets are gas (the last fwl sometimes distinguished instead as “ice”) giants. There are dwarf planets (a separate category from, rather than sibcategory of, planets) closer and farther, but no known rocky planets beyond the gas/ice giants.