Could Jupiter become a second Sun?

[Hermann]

Jupiter is a gas giant consisting to 90% out of Hydrogen. It did not become a sun, because its mass is not big enough to start the fusion process by itself. But what would happen after the explosion of an atomic bomb inside Jupiter? Would Jupiter become a second Sun within our solar system? Can anyone calculate or estimate what would happen after such an event, which seems to be possible? What would be the consequences for us on Earth?

 

[geodesic]

For Jupiter to become a star, it would have to maintain sufficient pressure and temperature to cause fusion. Jupiter is far too massive to be affected sufficiently by a single explosion - there would be fusion around the edges, but nothing long term.

 

[cosmictraveler]

A star is usually defined as a body whose core is hot enough and under
enough pressure to fuse light elements into heavier ones with a
significant release of energy. The most basic (and easiest, in terms of
the temperatures and pressures required) type of fusion involve the
fusion of four hydrogen nuclei into one helium-4 nucleus, with a
corresponding release of energy (in the form of high-frequency photons).
This reaction powers the most stable and long-lived class of stars, the
main sequence stars (like our Sun and nearly all of the stars in the
Sun's immediate vicinity).

Below certain threshold temperatures and pressures, the fusion reaction
is not self-sustaining and no longer provides a sufficient release of
energy to call said object a star. Theoretical calculations indicate
(and direct observations corroborate) that this limit lies somewhere
around 0.08 solar masses; a near-star below this limit is called a brown
dwarf.

By contrast, Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is only
0.001 masses solar. This makes the smallest possible stars roughly 80
times more massive than Jupiter; that is, Jupiter would need something
like 80 times more mass to become even one of the smallest and feeblest
red dwarfs. Since there is nothing approaching 79 Jupiter masses of
hydrogen floating around anywhere in the solar system where it could be
added to Jupiter, there is no feasible way that Jupiter could become a
star.


http://www.faqs.org/faqs/astronomy/faq/part5/section-12.html

 

[blobrana]

Since there is nothing approaching 79 Jupiter masses of
hydrogen floating around anywhere in the solar system where it could be
added to Jupiter, there is no feasible way that Jupiter could become a
star.

Hum,
If the sun were to expand and cast off material then some of it maybe collected by Jupiter so that it may perhaps double its size.

However, given a long enough time frame the orbit of Jupiter may degrade or be affected by passing stars etc so that it migrates towards the sun; infact it may migrate towards a swollen sun so that it orbits closer (or inside) the sun, and may collect enough material to counter the material blasted off by solar radiation and gain enough material to exceed the critical amount needed to sustain nuclear reactions…

Just a thought..

 

[(Q)]

Can anyone calculate or estimate what would happen after such an event

You claim to be a physicist, why can't you?

which seems to be possible?

"Seems to be possible" based on what?

 

[Tristan]

nuclear bomb:Jupiter

as

Whipper Snapper:Earth

 

[may_wentee]

A star is usually defined as a body whose core is hot enough and under
enough pressure to fuse light elements into heavier ones with a
significant release of energy. The most basic (and easiest, in terms of
the temperatures and pressures required) type of fusion involve the
fusion of four hydrogen nuclei into one helium-4 nucleus, with a
corresponding release of energy (in the form of high-frequency photons).
This reaction powers the most stable and long-lived class of stars, the
main sequence stars (like our Sun and nearly all of the stars in the
Sun's immediate vicinity).

Below certain threshold temperatures and pressures, the fusion reaction
is not self-sustaining and no longer provides a sufficient release of
energy to call said object a star. Theoretical calculations indicate
(and direct observations corroborate) that this limit lies somewhere
around 0.08 solar masses; a near-star below this limit is called a brown
dwarf.

By contrast, Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is only
0.001 masses solar. This makes the smallest possible stars roughly 80
times more massive than Jupiter; that is, Jupiter would need something
like 80 times more mass to become even one of the smallest and feeblest
red dwarfs. Since there is nothing approaching 79 Jupiter masses of
hydrogen floating around anywhere in the solar system where it could be
added to Jupiter, there is no feasible way that Jupiter could become a
star.


http://www.faqs.org/faqs/astronomy/faq/part5/section-12.html

1,355,000 (+/- 1000) Black monoliths of sufficient size (1-4-9) crashing into Jupiter at approximately the same time should do the job nicely I would think. At least Arthur C. Clark thought so.

May_wentee

 

[weed_eater_guy]

we'll make our own stars, space elevators sucking hydrogen out to orbital stations around the gas giant, all of which use fusion reactors to make energy, and beam it back to earth and other planets!

coffee-induced daydream, but no, otherwise, not big enough. but the fact that it's a hugantic repository of hydrogen shouldn't go unoticed....

 

[Hermann]

Thanks for your answers. This is exactly what I wanted to know – now I have a much better understanding.

 

[devils_reject]

And any idea when our current sun is going to die?

 

[Novacane]

Yea. July 4, 5,000,000,001 years from now. I think it's a Saturday. I could be a day or two off though.

Novacane

 

[weed_eater_guy]

ahh, so how long, great prophet, untill the sun swallow's earth's orbit? hope it's not next week, I've got plans

 

[(Q)]

Thanks for your answers. This is exactly what I wanted to know – now I have a much better understanding.

So, as a physicist, you come to internet forums to get answers to high school astronomy questions?

 

[Novacane]

ahh, so how long, great prophet, untill the sun swallow's earth's orbit? hope it's not next week, I've got plans

Maybe in about two or three billion years it might be getting to hot for pouring ice tea.......Leave your air conditoner on.

Novacane

 

[Light]

Hum,
If the sun were to expand and cast off material then some of it maybe collected by Jupiter so that it may perhaps double its size.

However, given a long enough time frame the orbit of Jupiter may degrade or be affected by passing stars etc so that it migrates towards the sun; infact it may migrate towards a swollen sun so that it orbits closer (or inside) the sun, and may collect enough material to counter the material blasted off by solar radiation and gain enough material to exceed the critical amount needed to sustain nuclear reactions…

Just a thought..

I realize it's just a thought, but that's all it is. In fact, the exact opposite is what's happening. As the sun looses mass through fusion and particle emission it's gravity slowly diminishes. The end result of that is that the orbit of Jupiter (and all the other planets) will slowly grow.

 

[Gattaca]

And any idea when our current sun is going to die?

Our sun is just at her mid 40s. Let's consider its longevity 100.

 

[Qorl]

If God's wont's that way - yes!

 

[Ophiolite]

However, given a long enough time frame the orbit of Jupiter may degrade ..

No it wont. The stability of the system has been simulated. Jupiter is not going to start an inward migration. Gas giants migrate inward during the formative years of solar systems as they interact with the collapsing dust disc. Once the cloud has disippated there is no mechanism to cause orbital degradation. [Your suggestion of interference by passing stars is valid, though that would seem more likely to cause a plunge into the sun or ejection from the system.]

In terms of the demise of the sun, we might wish to consider that in one billion years only the gradual increase in the sun's temperature will have induced a runaway greenhouse effect on the Earth. (If mankind hasn't achieved the same effect a lot sooner an more efficiently than nature.)

 

[kamal talwar]

can jupiter become a second sun

if jupiter becomes the second which is highly inprobable, will its moons become the planet what iam refering to is uropa due to its revolution around the massive planet and friction going on in the core could become the second habitable planet in our solar system. i know that igniting the big planet with nuclear weapons is just not enough. because if it could then would have happend when jupiter was bambarded with meteors back in the 90's.

 

[kamal talwar]

got to think of it i never heard of a sun revolving around another sun. it would be highly unstable