Could the Milky Way's Dense Oort Cloud Mean a Richer Galactic Landscape?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of the Oort Cloud and its implications for the Milky Way galaxy, particularly regarding the potential for other stars, like Alpha Centauri, to have their own Oort Clouds. Participants explore the idea of colonizing celestial bodies, including rogue planets and those orbiting different types of stars, while also considering the vast distances and energy requirements involved in such endeavors.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Speculative

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that if the Oort Cloud extends 2 light years, Alpha Centauri could also have a similar structure, leading to a galaxy filled with celestial bodies rather than empty space.
  • Others argue that while the galaxy contains many asteroids, comets, and dwarf planets, the distances between them are so vast that collisions would be rare.
  • Speculation arises about the possibility of colonizing large celestial bodies, with some participants questioning the feasibility of colonizing rogue planets due to their cold temperatures.
  • There are discussions about the energy requirements for colonization, with references to nuclear fusion as a potential solution, but skepticism about the practicality of such endeavors given the abundance of habitable planets around stars.
  • Some participants express curiosity about the potential for colonizing planets around blue giant stars, despite the hazards associated with their short lifetimes and explosive ends.
  • Questions are raised about the prevalence of red dwarfs in the galaxy, with explanations provided regarding their longevity and ease of formation compared to larger stars.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the feasibility of colonization and the nature of celestial bodies in the galaxy. There is no consensus on the practicality of colonizing rogue planets or those around blue giants, and the discussion remains speculative with multiple competing ideas.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes speculative ideas about colonization and the characteristics of different types of stars, but lacks definitive conclusions or established facts regarding the viability of these concepts.

  • #31
But, a huge gas giant could be perturbed into a tighter orbit after it had already formed. Its massive gravity would slow loss of its atmosphere for a long time.
 
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  • #32
Chronos said:
But, a huge gas giant could be perturbed into a tighter orbit after it had already formed. Its massive gravity would slow loss of its atmosphere for a long time.

How long will keep it's atmosphere?
Tousands, M\Hundreds of tousands, Millions, Tens of millions of years... BILLIONS?:confused:
 
  • #33
Chalnoth said:
Otherwise you'll just get a gas giant with a rocky core.

but Would't the rocky core get crushed under the mass of the atmosphere and become a liquid... Or diamonds if it has a significant amount of carbon?
 
  • #34
Constantin said:
"
"-And another question: If a nebula has about 100 or more light years in diameter and if it is very thick and mostly composed out of H2 what type of stars tend to take birth in there?
And can they have solid planets rather than gas giants?"
I don't know what kind of stars would take birth in that nebula.

If the nebulla is so thick and mostly composed out of H2 wouldn't there be a significant amount of Blue giands or super giants of stars as there is plenty of material to form out of?
 
  • #35
"How long will keep it's atmosphere?
Tousands, M\Hundreds of tousands, Millions, Tens of millions of years... BILLIONS?"
Billions of years, at least. There are plenty of examples of gas giants that orbit their stars very closely. It is assumed they formed further away and they later migrated closer to the star.

"but Would't the rocky core get crushed under the mass of the atmosphere and become a liquid... Or diamonds if it has a significant amount of carbon?"
Yes, because of the very high amounts of pressure, it will change its state. I don't know if it will be molten or not.
But that happens in the core of our planet as well. The very core of our planet is solid, surrounded by a larger, molten region. So at extreme pressures you can get a solid core even with very high temperatures.
 
  • #36
Constantin said:
The very core of our planet is solid, surrounded by a larger, molten region. So at extreme pressures you can get a solid core even with very high temperatures.

With that i agree with you...
-But this kind of event can hapopen to any kind of material even water...
Recent discoveries of theoretical ocean worlds or super Earth's that are almost 100% water, if they are big enaugh their core can get solid; ice7, right?
And what about the recently discovered Kepler-22b?
Studies show that it could be another ocean world...
I don't quite remember its theoretical size but could it have a rocky underwater surface or its all the way down to another ice7 core?
-And could it have small rocky islands?
-Could it be colonized?
 
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  • #37
Dark Universe said:
With that i agree with you...
-But this kind of event can hapopen to any kind of material even water...
Recent discoveries of theoretical ocean worlds or super Earth's that are almost 100% water, if they are big enaugh their core can get solid; ice7, right?
And what about the recently discovered Kepler-22b?
Studies show that it could be another ocean world...
I don't quite remember its theoretical size but could it have a rocky underwater surface or its all the way down to another ice7 core?
-And could it have small rocky islands?
-Could it be colonized?

Heeey... no answer to this?
 
  • #38
Dark Universe said:
but Would't the rocky core get crushed under the mass of the atmosphere and become a liquid... Or diamonds if it has a significant amount of carbon?

No, puting a liquid under ridiculous amounts of pressure (with a few exceptions such as water and gallium) results in a solid, not the other way around.
 
  • #39
Whovian said:
No, puting a liquid under ridiculous amounts of pressure (with a few exceptions such as water and gallium) results in a solid, not the other way around.

as far as I know, with water it's even believed that under sufficiently extreme pressures an exotic or exotic forms of ice can be formed.
 
  • #40
Whovian said:
No, puting a liquid under ridiculous amounts of pressure (with a few exceptions such as water and gallium) results in a solid, not the other way around.

True. The molten core is a result of temperature, not pressure.
However, what you're saying about water or gallium is false. They will turn to solid just fine.

In regards to water turning to ice at high pressure, I've seen experiments with diamond anvil doing just that.
 
  • #41
In which case I stand corrected.
 

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