3 ms·
Erm. If it's melting the rock around it, then the rock is your cold sink. By the time the temperature of the rock catches up with the probe, it's already molten
by gipp 12y ago
Erm. If it's melting the rock around it, then the rock is your cold sink. By the time the temperature of the rock catches up with the probe, it's already molten anyway.
- ars 12y agoThe rock would not work as a cold sink - the cold rock is too far from the probe. The rock right near the probe is at almost the exact same temperature.
- kijin 12y agoAnd that's exactly why the probe will take 30 years to move 100km. It's going to be a very slow process.
- dredmorbius 12y agoMore specifically: the interior of the probe is 2000F, the surrounding rock melts at 1000F. That's a pretty good temperature gradient right there.