02-16-2017, 02:46 AM
Nearby Alien Planets Not So Life-Friendly After All
By Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer | April 24, 2015 01:00pm ET
The new study, which was published in The Astrophysical Journal, also notes that the star Tau Ceti has much more magnesium compared to silicon than the sun does. As a result, the Tau Ceti worlds could be quite different from Earth in key ways that are not just related to size.
With such a high magnesium-to-silicon ratio, "it is possible that the mineralogical makeup of planets around Tau Ceti could be significantly different from that of Earth," said mineral physicist Sang-Heon Shim, also of ASU. "Tau Ceti's planets could very well be dominated by the mineral olivine at shallow parts of the mantle and have lower mantles dominated by ferropericlase."
Since ferropericlase is not very viscous, the rock within the mantles of Tau Ceti worlds may flow more easily than mantle rock does on Earth, researchers said. This could have potentially large impacts on volcanism and plate tectonics, the scientists added.
http://www.space.com/29191-exoplanets-ta...-life.html
The current OA articles about Tau Ceti and its planets below for reference.
Tau Ceti (planetary system)
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/48e6233abde08
Nova Terra, Tau Ceti V
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/48e2e21ee6d7f
By Mike Wall, Space.com Senior Writer | April 24, 2015 01:00pm ET
The new study, which was published in The Astrophysical Journal, also notes that the star Tau Ceti has much more magnesium compared to silicon than the sun does. As a result, the Tau Ceti worlds could be quite different from Earth in key ways that are not just related to size.
With such a high magnesium-to-silicon ratio, "it is possible that the mineralogical makeup of planets around Tau Ceti could be significantly different from that of Earth," said mineral physicist Sang-Heon Shim, also of ASU. "Tau Ceti's planets could very well be dominated by the mineral olivine at shallow parts of the mantle and have lower mantles dominated by ferropericlase."
Since ferropericlase is not very viscous, the rock within the mantles of Tau Ceti worlds may flow more easily than mantle rock does on Earth, researchers said. This could have potentially large impacts on volcanism and plate tectonics, the scientists added.
http://www.space.com/29191-exoplanets-ta...-life.html
The current OA articles about Tau Ceti and its planets below for reference.
Tau Ceti (planetary system)
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/48e6233abde08
Nova Terra, Tau Ceti V
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/48e2e21ee6d7f