Ngaba zikho ezinye iiplanethi ezineendawo ezifana nezethu? Ngenxa yenkqubela phambili yetekhnoloji yeenkwenkwezi, ngoku siyazi ukuba kukho amawaka eeplanethi ezijikeleza iinkwenkwezi ezikude. Uphononongo olutsha lubonisa ukuba ezinye iiplanethi ezingaphandle kwendalo yonke ziyei-heliumimozulu etyebileyo. Isizathu sokungalingani kobukhulu beeplanethi kwinkqubo yelanga sinxulumenei-heliumOku kufunyaniswa kusenokusinceda siqonde ngakumbi ngendaleko yeeplanethi.

Imfihlakalo malunga nokuphambuka kobukhulu beeplanethi ezingaphandle kwelanga

Kwakungekho de kwaba ngu-1992 apho kwafunyanwa khona i-exoplanet yokuqala. Isizathu sokuba kuthathe ixesha elide kangaka ukufumana iiplanethi ngaphandle kwenkqubo yelanga kukuba zivaliwe kukukhanya kweenkwenkwezi. Ngenxa yoko, izazi ngeenkwenkwezi ziye zavela nendlela ekrelekrele yokufumana iiplanethi. Ijonga ukufiphala komgca wexesha ngaphambi kokuba iplanethi idlule inkwenkwezi yayo. Ngale ndlela, ngoku siyazi ukuba iiplanethi zixhaphakile nangaphandle kwenkqubo yethu yelanga. Ubuncinane isiqingatha seenkwenkwezi ezifana nelanga sinobukhulu beplanethi enye ukusuka eMhlabeni ukuya kwiNeptune. Ezi planethi kukholelwa ukuba zine-atmospheres "yehydrogen" kunye "ne-helium", ezaqokelelwa kwigesi kunye nothuli olujikeleze iinkwenkwezi ekuzalweni kwazo.

Okumangalisayo kukuba, ubukhulu beeplanethi ezingabonakaliyo buyahluka phakathi kwala maqela mabini. Elinye lingaphezulu ngokuphindwe kayi-1.5 kunomhlaba, kwaye elinye lingaphezulu ngokuphindwe kabini kunomhlaba. Kwaye ngesizathu esithile, akukho nto iphakathi. Olu tshintsho lwe-amplitude lubizwa ngokuba yi-"radius valley". Ukusombulula le mfihlakalo kukholelwa ukuba kuya kusinceda siqonde ukwakheka kunye nokuguquka kwezi planethi.

Ubudlelwane phakathii-heliumkunye nokuphambuka kobukhulu beeplanethi ezingaphandle kwelanga

Enye ingcamango kukuba ukuphambuka kobukhulu (intlambo) beeplanethi ezingaphandle kwelanga kunxulumene nomoya weplanethi. Iinkwenkwezi ziindawo ezimbi kakhulu, apho iiplanethi zihlala zihlaselwa yi-X-rays kunye nemitha ye-ultraviolet. Kukholelwa ukuba oku kwasusa umoya, kwashiya kuphela isiseko esincinci selitye. Ngenxa yoko, u-Isaac Muskie, umfundi we-doctoral kwiYunivesithi yaseMichigan, kunye noLeslie Rogers, ingcali ye-astrophysicist kwiYunivesithi yaseChicago, bagqiba ekubeni bafunde ngesiganeko sokuhluthwa komoya weplanethi, okubizwa ngokuba yi-"atmospheric dissipation".

Ukuze baqonde imiphumo yobushushu kunye nemitha kwi-atmosphere yoMhlaba, basebenzise idatha yeeplanethi kunye nemithetho yendalo ukwenza imodeli kwaye baqhuba ii-simulations ezingama-70000. Bafumanise ukuba, emva kweebhiliyoni zeminyaka emva kokwenziwa kweeplanethi, i-hydrogen enobunzima obuncinci be-athomu yayiza kunyamalala ngaphambi kokubai-heliumNgaphezulu kwama-40% obunzima bomoya woMhlaba bunokwenziwa yii-helium.

Ukuqonda ukwakheka kunye nokuguquka kweeplanethi yindlela yokufumanisa ubomi obungaphandle komhlaba

Ukuze baqonde imiphumo yobushushu kunye nemitha kwi-atmosphere yoMhlaba, basebenzise idatha yeeplanethi kunye nemithetho yendalo ukwenza imodeli kwaye baqhuba ii-simulations ezingama-70000. Bafumanise ukuba, emva kweebhiliyoni zeminyaka emva kokwenziwa kweeplanethi, i-hydrogen enobunzima obuncinci be-athomu yayiza kunyamalala ngaphambi kokubai-heliumNgaphezulu kwama-40% obunzima bomoya woMhlaba bunokwenziwa yii-helium.

Kwelinye icala, iiplanethi ezisenayo i-hydrogen kunyei-heliumzinemimoya ekhulayo. Ke ngoko, ukuba umoya usekhona, abantu bacinga ukuba iya kuba liqela elikhulu leeplanethi. Zonke ezi planethi zinokuba shushu, zichatshazelwe yimitha enamandla, kwaye zibe nomoya oxinezelekileyo. Ke ngoko, ukufunyanwa kobomi kubonakala kungenakwenzeka. Kodwa ukuqonda inkqubo yokwakheka kweeplanethi kuya kusinceda sikwazi ukuqikelela ngokuchanekileyo ukuba zeziphi iiplanethi ezikhoyo kunye nokuba zibukeka njani. Ingasetyenziselwa ukukhangela iiplanethi ezizalayo.