It is one of the most recognizable features of Jupiter pure size. With a diameter of more than 88,800 miles, the largest planet of our solar system is 11 times as wide as the earth and combined twice as massive as all his brother or sister planets. But according to recent calculations based on some of the smallest moons of the gas giant, astronomers now believe that Jupiter was again than double the current size, with a magnetic field 50 times as strong. These gigantic dimensions are not only impressive – they played an important role in shaping our solar system as it exists today. The new findings are detailed in a study published on 20 May in the magazine Nature Astronomy.
In order to better understand the primordial phases of Jupiter, researchers turned to the smallest of the planet 92 well -known moons. Almathea and Thebe circling Jupiter on somewhat tilted jobs, about 112,400 and 138,000 miles above the cloud tops of the planet.
By analyzing the dynamics of these orbital discrepancies, along with the preservation of the Angular Momentum of the Planet, the team was able to radiate its radius and is about 3.8 million years after the solar system formed its first solids. At that time, the sun was surrounded by a disc of material that is known as a protoplanetary mist that gradually disappeared while it merged into the planets we know and that we love. Based on their calculations, researchers believe that the early Jupiter was 2 to 2.5 times larger than today with a much more powerful magnetic field.
“It is amazing that even after 4.5 billion years there are sufficient indications to be the physical condition of Jupiter reconstructed at the start of his existence,” said Fred AdamsOne of the co-authors of the study and a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Michigan.
By concentrating on the directly measurable information from Jupiter’s Moons and the preservation of his corner momentum, the team was able to circumvent many of the common uncertainties that bully planetary formation models. These often require astronomers to make assumptions about variables such as gas coverage, accretion speed and heavy element core mass.
According to the team, their new calculations improve more than the understanding of the experts of Jupiter. These factors can be applied to the evolution of other gigantic planets while circling stars. They also suggest that gas giants are generally formed by nuclear growth – or when a gas quickly collects around a core of ice and rock.
“Our ultimate goal is to understand where we come from, and attaching the early phases of planet formation is essential to resolve the puzzle,” ” said Konstantin BatyginA Caltech Planetary Science Professor and studies co-author. “This brings us closer to understanding how not only Jupiter but the entire solar system took shape.”
