Astrophysics (Index)About

helium rain

(possible source of heat in giant planet atmospheres)

Helium rain is considered as something that might occur deep within the thick atmospheres of giant planets such as Saturn and Jupiter. Saturn is warmer than can easily be explained from incoming solar EM radiation and residual heat and/or radioactivity, and it is thought the conditions exist to condense helium into droplets that fall far enough that released gravitational potential energy be the source of the unexplained heat.


(atmosphere,helium,giant planets)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_giant#Helium_rain_on_Saturn_and_Jupiter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Chemical_composition
https://www.space.com/8084-jupiter-helium-rain-study-suggests.html
https://www.llnl.gov/news/experiments-validate-possibility-helium-rain-inside-jupiter-and-saturn
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016JGRE..121.1552M/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003Icar..164..228F/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1977ApJS...35..221S/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1977ApJS...35..239S/abstract

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