Physical modelling of moons, planets and dwarf planets.
An idea has been growing in my mind ever since I saw the nitrogen flows on Sputnik Planum on Pluto. The idea is – it would be very cool and useful to make large physical models of large solar system bodies that mimic the actual geological processes that have gone on on these bodies.
In terms of what has already been done, I can remember seeing the following.
1) Generating and filming of the aurora produced when a charged spherical magnet is placed in a vacuum tunnel with an electron source.
2) Generate the fluid mechanics dynamo action producing a magnetic field using a spinning sphere filled with an electrolyte such as salt water.
3) Generation of mountain ranges by placing layers of different density materials in a centrifuge.
4) Generate impact craters produced by firing small particles at a surface made from, for example, sand or flour.
5) Generate volcanos by using hot wax extruded through a small nozzle. All the different types of volcanos can be made by varying the wax temperature.
Add to that
6) Generate continental drift on a small scale.
Putting together 4, 5 and 6 you could potentially create the surface characteristics of all the rocky planets and large moons, large icy moons and dwarf planets. I propose the following.
. Start with a ball of material representing the core of the body. This core could be of Styrofoam and could be anywhere between 0.5 and 1.5 metres across.
. Thread through this some 12 to 25 vertical piano wires to support the final weight. Fix the core to the piano wires using strong glue or mechanical fasteners.
. On the surface of the core attach a large number of small heaters that can be operated independently, fine wires for operating the heaters to exit alongside one or more of the piano wires.
. Coat the assembly with a spherical shell of paraffin wax. The composition of the wax, operating temperature and colour will differ for different solar system bodies. For solar system bodies dominated by cratering, such as Mercury, Mimas etc. a single shell of hard wax will suffice. For other bodies use a high melting point wax over the top of a low melting point wax. The range of hydrocarbons in each wax will govern the temperatures at which it will soften. The initial is now set.
. Apply geological processes – heating (volcanos, lava flows and continental drift) and impact cratering to generate real surface topography. For each heating operation rotate the sphere until the location affected is at the top (so gravity is pointing in approximately the correct direction).
. Photograph and publish.