Bulletin of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Astronomy, no. 63, p. 45-47 (2021)
Loss of angular momentum when the planet’s atmosphere leaks into space
S. Parnovsky, Dr Hab., Prof.
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Abstract
In the case of a rotating planet the well-known Jeans mechanism of atmospheric leakage into space leads to a decrease not only in its mass, but also in the angular momentum. We found a constrain linking these losses. On its basis, it is shown that this mechanism could not significantly affect the duration of the Earth’s day and its accounting cannot smooth out the problems associated with the theory of the formation of the Moon during the so-called Giant impact, i.e. collision of the protoplanet Theia with the Earth.
Key words
Angular momentum, atmospheric leakage, Giant impact.
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