Work

What is the maximum radius of cold planets?

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Planets have maximum radii close to that of Jupiter. Qualitatively, the reason for this maximum size is that, as one adds mass, the force of gravity becomes sufficiently strong to cause the radius to decrease. We show that this effect can be understood quantitatively using a simple variational principle very similar to that used to compute the size of the hydrogen atom.

Source: American Journal of Physics

DOI: 10.1119/5.0226963

Authors: David Garfinkle, Alberto G. Rojo

Institution: Oakland University

Language: English

Topic: Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Awards: G2605621558, Studies of Singularities, Black Holes, and Gravitational Radiation