Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Pseudoscience-is-malarkey on 11/12/2021 06:43:02

Title: Can Uranus really have no core?
Post by: Pseudoscience-is-malarkey on 11/12/2021 06:43:02
Even an idiotic student of history such as myself can call bullshit on things PhDs say about their own field. A British astronomer on a documentary about the ice giants (Neptune and Uranus), said she believes Uranus has no core. How is that possible? Then again, I've heard experts forward the quasi-conspiracy theory that we have a red dwarf in our solar system despite never actually seeing it and the fact that none of our sophisticated outerspace surveys have detected it. Think of how much complicity it would take to cover up the existence of such a red dwarf or gas giant or UFOs in our solar neighborhood.
Title: Re: Can Uranus really have no core?
Post by: Bored chemist on 11/12/2021 12:44:57
d. A British astronomer on a documentary about the ice giants (Neptune and Uranus), said she believes Uranus has no core. How is that possible?
The same way it's true of the Sun.

I'm not saying it is true. I'm just stating the obvious; it is possible..
Even an idiotic student of history such as myself can call bullshit on things PhDs say about their own field.
Yes, but you can't get it right, can you.
You miss obvious answers.
Title: Re: Can Uranus really have no core?
Post by: evan_au on 11/12/2021 21:13:38
I understand that it is possible to make deductions about a planet's interior structure by the acceleration of a satellite in orbit.
- If you are close enough, the gravitational field is no longer represented as a point with the mass of the planet.
- By measuring small deviations from the point-mass model, you can make an interior model of the planet

Unfortunately, Uranus and Neptune have not been visited by an orbiter - just a flyby, so we don't know anything about their interior from measurement.
- But we can create computer models of solar system formation and the current structure of the planet.

I would be very surprised if there were no silicates or iron in the formation of these outer planets, but the temperature may be high enough that it is not be a solid core.

The Wikipedia articles both suggest that there is a metal/silicate core to the ice giants - see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus#Internal_structure
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neptune#Internal_structure