Lesson 2:

The Universe and the

Solar System
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

What are the

composition of our
Solar System?
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Why is it called the

‘Solar System’?
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

In our planetary
system, we use the
word “solar” to
describe the things
related to our star,
the Sun, in which its
name comes from the
Latin word, “solis.”
What is
Physics?
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Origin of the Solar System

• Natural forces created and shaped the Solar System and

that there is a continuity to that process, i.e. it is not a
sequence of random events.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Solar System: An Overview

• The solar system is located in the Milky Way galaxy,􀀁a

huge disc and spiral shaped aggregation of about at
least 100 billion stars and other bodies;
• Its spiral arms rotate around a globular cluster or bulge
of many, many stars, at the center of which lies a
supermassive black hole;
• This galaxy is about 100 million light years across (1
light year = 9.4607 × 10 km); or 9.4607𝑋 10 𝑘𝑚
12 20
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Solar System: An Overview

• The solar system revolves around the galactic center

once in about 240 million years;
• The Milky Way is part of the so-called Local Group of
galaxies, which in turn is part of the Virgo supercluster
of galaxies;
• Based on the assumption that they are remnants of the
materials from which they were formed, radioactive
dating of meteorites, suggests that the Earth and solar
system are 4.6 billion years old.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Large Scale Features of the

Solar System
• Much of the mass
(99.85%) of the Solar
System is concentrated
at the center (Sun)
while angular
momentum is held by
the outer planets.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Large Scale Features of the

Solar System
• Orbits of the planets
are on the same
plane and elliptical
• All planets revolve
around the sun
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Large Scale Features of the

Solar System
• The periods of
revolution of the
planets increase
with increasing
distance.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Large Scale Features of the

Solar System
• The planets are isolated in orderly intervals
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Small Scale Features of the

Solar System
• Most planets rotate prograde
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Small Scale Features of the

Solar System
• Terrestrial planets have:
• High densities
• Thin or no atmosphere
• Rotate slowly
• Rocky materials such as silicates, iron, and nickel of
high melting points
• Poor in ices (H2 O, NH3 , CH4 ) and lower contents of H, He,
and noble gases.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Small Scale Features of the

Solar System
• Jovian Worlds have:
• Low densities
• Thick atmospheres
• Rotate rapidly
• Many natural satellites
• Fluid interiors, rich in ices, H/He
• Most of outer Solar System objects (not just jovian
worlds) are ice-rich.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Small Scale Features of the

Solar System
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

How does one test a

hypothesis?
• It is tested against the facts to look for contradictions
that rule out or require modification to the hypothesis.
• The process of hypothesis formulation and then theory
building is a lengthy, career dependent operation.
• The sociology of science requires that a hypothesis be
tested and confirmed by many scientists since the
creator of the hypothesis has a strong psychological
attachment to his work.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Encounter Hypothesis
• One of the earliest theories for the formation
of the planets.
• In this case, a rogue star passes close to the
Sun about 5 billion years ago. Material, in the
form of hot gas, is tidally stripped from the
Sun and the rogue star. This material
fragments turns into smaller lumps which
form the planets. This hypothesis has the
advantage of explaining why the planets all
revolve in the same direction (from the
encounter geometry) and also provides an
explanation for why the inner worlds are
denser than the outer worlds.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Encounter Hypothesis
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Encounter Hypothesis
• Two major problems:
1. Hot gases expands, not contracts. So lumps
of hot gases would not form planets.
2. Encounters between stars are extremely
rare, so rare as to be improbable in the
lifetime of the Universe.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Nebular Hypothesis

“The whole Solar System starts as a large cloud of gas

that contracts under self-gravity. Conservation of angular
momentum requires that a rotating disk form with a large
concentration at the center (the proto-Sun). Within the
disk, planets form.”

Note: Angular Momentum – is the property of any

rotating object given by moment of inertia times angular
velocity. It is a property characterizing the rotary inertia
of an object or system of objects in motion about an axis
that may or may not pass through the object or system.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Nebular Hypothesis
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Nebular Hypothesis

While this theory incorporates more basic

physics, there are several unsolved
problems. For example, a majority of the
angular momentum in the Solar System is
held by the outer planets. For comparison,
99% of the Solar System's mass is in the
Sun, but 99% of its angular momentum is
in the planets. Another flaw is the
mechanism from which the disk turns into
individual planets.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Nebular Hypothesis

• This nebular theory failed to account for the

distribution of angular momentum in the solar
system.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Proto-planet Hypothesis –
Current Hypothesis
• The current working model for the formation
of the Solar System.
• Incorporates many of the components of the
nebular hypothesis, but adds some new
aspects from modern knowledge of fluids and
states of matter.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Inner Solar System

• As the planet's began to form they
grew in mass by accreting
planetesimals.
• Since force of gravity is proportional
to mass, the largest planetesimals are
accreted first. The early proto-planets
are able to sweep the early Solar
System clean of large bodies. Notice
that the lighter compounds are
vaporized in the inner Solar System.
So where did all the outgassing
material come from? The answer is
comets that fall from the outer Solar
System after the planets form.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Outer Solar System

• The Jovian worlds, having an early
edge on gathering mass in the colder
outer solar disk, were the most
efficient at capturing planetesimals,
which only served to increase their
already large masses. As the
planetesimals shrink in average size,
collisions with proto-planets lead to
fragmentation. So quickly the Solar
System divided into large proto-
planets and smaller and smaller
planetesimals which eventually
became the numerous meteors we see
today.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Outer Solar System

• Any leftover large bodies
were captured as moons or
ejected by gravity assist
into the Oort cloud. The
start of thermonuclear
fusion in the Sun's core
created enough luminosity
so that the remaining
hydrogen and helium gas in
the solar disk was removed
by radiation pressure.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Outer Solar System

• The only remaining problem is
the distribution of angular
momentum. The current
explanation for the fact that
most of the angular
momentum is in the outer
planets is that, by some
mechanism, the Sun has lost
angular momentum. The
mechanism of choice is
magnetic braking.
Lesson 2: Universe and the Solar System

Magnetic Breaking
• The early Sun had a much
heavier flow of solar winds
particles. Many of the particles
in the solar wind are charged,
and are effected by the laws of
motion as well as
electromagnetic forces. As the
solar wind leaves the solar
surface, they are ``dragged'' by
the magnetic field, which in
turn slows down the Sun's
rotation.