A Note on Planet Size and Cooling Rate (Icarus, 2021)



VPL Authors

http://arxiv.org/abs/2102.01077

 

Seales, J., Lenardic, A. (2021). A Note on Planet Size and Cooling Rate. http://arxiv.org/abs/2102.01077 arXiv:2102.01077

 

Variation in the balance of forces that drive and resist tectonic plate motions allows small terrestrial planet to cooler slower than larger ones. Given that interior cooling affects surface environment, through volcanic/geologic activity, this indicates that small planets should not be down-weighted in the search for life beyond Earth.