Conditions inside a protoplanetary disc

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Conditions within a protoplanetary disc typically feature gas pressure around one Bar, but this level may not be realistic due to the vast volume of the disc, which could lead to excessive material accumulation. The temperature at this pressure is uncertain, particularly close to the forming star, raising questions about the tolerability for spaceships or humans. While research papers discuss the theoretical conditions, they often lack definitive answers, leaving room for creative interpretation in science fiction. The narrative can maintain its imaginative essence even if it bends some physical laws, as the primary goal of the genre is to explore human experiences. The discussion also touches on the feasibility of self-publishing through platforms like Amazon Kindle, highlighting the accessibility for aspiring authors.
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Summary:: Conditions inside a protoplanetary disc.

I have just finished writing a fictional story that takes place inside a protoplanetary disc. Now I think I should determine how realistic it is.

My question -- Somewhere in a typical PP disc, the gas pressure would be in the range of one Barr. How hot would it be at that level? Also, how close to the newly forming star would the one Barr level be?
My story takes place at this location, so is there any chance that the temperature would be tolerable for a spaceship (or an exposed human)? How outlandish is that?

I have looked at all kinds of research papers describing the theoretical physical conditions inside a PP disc. I just can't make any sense of them.

Thanks
 
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Congrats on finishing your story, @Galexy, but didn't you ask about protoplanetary disc conditions in a recent-ish post?

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/atmospheric-pressure-inside-a-protoplanetary-disc.1009282/

If I recall, the answer was we generally don't know enough to make or break a sci-fi story in terms of realism. Also, if you've completed the story, would you rework it if someone was able to show conditions are not as you have described them? What would that do to your narrative? And why does it matter? Science fiction has latitude not to be real, the point is to use imaginative situations like yours to explore some aspect of the human condition. If you're sufficiently satisfied with your story, why change it?
 
Yes, you're right! I did post this question before - and I forgot completely!
Thanks for answering both my posts.
I was a fan of the old-style science fiction, before fantasy sci-fi took over. I was trying to write something that bent as few laws of physics as possible. Looks like I only partially succeeded.
Chances are, you won't find my story at your local book seller anytime soon. (LOL)
 
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Galexy said:
Chances are, you won't find my story at your local book seller anytime soon. (LOL)
Amazon Kindle is DIY, @Galexy and very easy to use. I've even mastered creating paperback and hard cover versions, and sold a few as well. I'm not on the local bookshop either, not yet at least, but maybe someday...
 
Galexy said:
Somewhere in a typical PP disc, the gas pressure would be in the range of one Barr.
I think that's too high to be realistic. The volume of the disc is so huge that with that pressure you'd get too much material.
Maybe you could start with adding up the mass of the planets in our solar system and make an estimate about the average density... My guess is that it'll be kind of zero-ish.

To have that pressure on already forming proto-planets might be OK, though. But that means gravity is already in place.
 
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We've just had an interesting thread about generation ships, but I don't think that that is the most reasonable way to colonize another planet. Fatal problems: - Crew may become chaotic and self destructive. - Crew may become so adapted to space as to be unwilling to return to a planet. - Making the planet habitable may take longer then the trip, so the ship needs to last far longer than just the journey. - Mid-flight malfunction may render the ship unable to decelerate at the destination...
I know this topic is extremely contraversial and debated, but I'm writing a book where an AI attempts to become as human as possible. Would it, eventually, especially in the far future, be possible for an AI to gain a conscious? To be clear, my definition of a consciousness being the ability to possess self-created morals, thoughts, and views, AKA a whole personality. And if this is possible (and let's just say it is for this question), about how long may it take for something to happen...
This is a question for people who know about astrophysics. It's been said that the habitable zones around red dwarf stars are so close to those stars that any planets in the zones would be tidally locked to the stars in question. With one side roasting and another side freezing almost forever, those planets wouldn't be hospitable to life. a) Could there be forms of life--whole ecologies--that first evolve in the planet's twilight zone and then extend their habitat by burrowing...

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