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Thomas comments on What are you working on? July 2013 - Less Wrong Discussion

8 Post author: David_Gerard 02 July 2013 04:39PM

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Comment author: Thomas 03 July 2013 05:32:07PM 3 points [-]

On my blog, I am explaining why the faster rotating planets are warmer.

protokol2020.wordpress.com

Comment author: Daniel_Burfoot 04 July 2013 04:43:08PM 2 points [-]

I actually think this is quite interesting, though I'm not sure anyone who hadn't thought about similar things would understand your posts.

To restate your point, the relevant conserved quantity when dealing with surface temperature equilibria problems is not temperature T but T^4, because Stefan's Law says that the power radiated from a blackbody goes as the 4th power of temperature. So a planet with dense pockets of high temperature surrounded by regions of low temperature will have a lower average temperature than a planet with the same rate of radiation, but a uniform temperature across the surface.

Faster planetary rotation will produce a more even surface temperature than slow rotation, so planets with fast rotation will have higher average temperature than planets with slow rotation, given the same rate of incoming energy absorption from the sun.

Comment author: Thomas 04 July 2013 08:53:03PM 1 point [-]

Yes, you have understood it well.