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Many scientific principles — but which ones?
G'day
My birthday is coming up, and I'm thinking of treating myself to a copy of Astrosynthesis 3.0. I just have a few questions as to whether it is likely to be suitable to my needs. The fourth is about the depth of scientific plausibility in program output.
The information page about the system generator tells me that "AstroSynthesis' built in Star System Generator isn't just a randomizer. When generating systems, the program applies many scientific principles from the areas of physics, planetary sciences, atmospheric chemistry, and astronomy. When you generate a sector map, you're not getting a mish-mash of unrelated planets and stars - you're getting plausible star systems!". That's very promising, but there are an awful lot of scientific principles bearing on the surface conditions of a planet. These matters have unplumbed depths, and I'd like more specific information on how deep Astrosynthesis goes.
The generator doubtless assigns orbits to the planets, including semi-major axes and eccentricities. Does it go as far as to generate an inclination, an argument of the periapsis, a longitude of the ascending node, and a true anomaly? Does it take into account the effect of tides in reducing inclination and eccentricity over time? Does it assign larger eccentricities to the innermost and outermost members of a closely-spaced orbital sequence? (e.g. Mercury-Venus-Earth-Mars)
The generator doubtless assigns obliquities (axial tilts) to rotating orbiting bodies. What's the distribution, and does it take into account the effect of tides in reducing obliquities over time?
The generator doubtless assigns a volatiles budget to each planet and moon in some form, and takes into account the effect of Jeans escape in boiling away the light volatiles. How is the initial allocation of volatiles done: does it depend on distance from the star, or condensation temperature?
How are the initial rotation rates of the planets and moons assigned? Does the generator take into account the effect of tides in slowing rotation over time and thus producing tidal locking? Does it assign spin:orbit resonance instead of tidal lock in the case of worlds with sufficiently eccentric orbits?
Does the generator take into account the age of the planet in generating a geothermal heat flux and deriving levels of volcanic activity and tectonic convection. What about the planet's magnetic field?
Does the generator take into account the effect of low surface temperature in creating ice caps and thus reducing albedo? Does it take into account the effect of high temperature in increasing the load of water vapour and clouds in the atmosphere and their effect on albedo and greenhouse forcing? Does it model the long-term stabilisation of climate by the carbonate-silicate cycle, depending on tectonic activity and volcanism?
Does the generator calculate and report the range and period of the tides?
Does the generator calculate and report the apparent sizes and motions of the planet's sun and any moons?
Does the generator calculate and report the escape velocity of the planet, the period of a low orbit about it, and the altitude of a geosynchronous orbit?
In generating a planetary map, does the generator take into account the variation of temperature with latitude on a fast-rotating world and place ice caps appropriately. What about taking into account the latitudinal bands of moist and dry climates produced by Hadley cells in atmospheric circulation?
When mapping a world tide-locked to its star, does the generator place an ice-cap on the dark side and calculate the drop of ocean levels?
Does the generator report the effect of orbital eccentricity on tides and temperature? Does it indicate the degree of seasonality as a function of obliquity?
Does the generator estimate and report the violence of weather (storminess and windiness) depending on atmospheric parameters, wateriness, rotation rate, temperature variations, etc?
Does the generator indicate the variation of atmospheric pressure with altitude, indicate a maximum breathable altitude, etc.?
Does the generator report how bright the sunlight is in visible bands? (i.e. taking into account the bolometric correction for the star that the planet is orbiting).
Does the generator take into account the age of the system in determining whether a planet has developed an oxygen atmosphere? Does it adjust for the proportion of sunlight that is energetic enough to drive photosynthesis? (i.e take into account the bolometric correction again) In the case of stars that have brightened appreciably in the last few billion years, does it take into account the length of time that the planet has been in the life zone?
I don't intend any criticism if it doesn't do all these things. That'd be a lot to ask. I would just like to know which of those considerations are addressed.
Regards,
Brett
My birthday is coming up, and I'm thinking of treating myself to a copy of Astrosynthesis 3.0. I just have a few questions as to whether it is likely to be suitable to my needs. The fourth is about the depth of scientific plausibility in program output.
The information page about the system generator tells me that "AstroSynthesis' built in Star System Generator isn't just a randomizer. When generating systems, the program applies many scientific principles from the areas of physics, planetary sciences, atmospheric chemistry, and astronomy. When you generate a sector map, you're not getting a mish-mash of unrelated planets and stars - you're getting plausible star systems!". That's very promising, but there are an awful lot of scientific principles bearing on the surface conditions of a planet. These matters have unplumbed depths, and I'd like more specific information on how deep Astrosynthesis goes.
The generator doubtless assigns orbits to the planets, including semi-major axes and eccentricities. Does it go as far as to generate an inclination, an argument of the periapsis, a longitude of the ascending node, and a true anomaly? Does it take into account the effect of tides in reducing inclination and eccentricity over time? Does it assign larger eccentricities to the innermost and outermost members of a closely-spaced orbital sequence? (e.g. Mercury-Venus-Earth-Mars)
The generator doubtless assigns obliquities (axial tilts) to rotating orbiting bodies. What's the distribution, and does it take into account the effect of tides in reducing obliquities over time?
The generator doubtless assigns a volatiles budget to each planet and moon in some form, and takes into account the effect of Jeans escape in boiling away the light volatiles. How is the initial allocation of volatiles done: does it depend on distance from the star, or condensation temperature?
How are the initial rotation rates of the planets and moons assigned? Does the generator take into account the effect of tides in slowing rotation over time and thus producing tidal locking? Does it assign spin:orbit resonance instead of tidal lock in the case of worlds with sufficiently eccentric orbits?
Does the generator take into account the age of the planet in generating a geothermal heat flux and deriving levels of volcanic activity and tectonic convection. What about the planet's magnetic field?
Does the generator take into account the effect of low surface temperature in creating ice caps and thus reducing albedo? Does it take into account the effect of high temperature in increasing the load of water vapour and clouds in the atmosphere and their effect on albedo and greenhouse forcing? Does it model the long-term stabilisation of climate by the carbonate-silicate cycle, depending on tectonic activity and volcanism?
Does the generator calculate and report the range and period of the tides?
Does the generator calculate and report the apparent sizes and motions of the planet's sun
Does the generator calculate and report the escape velocity of the planet, the period of a low orbit about it, and the altitude of a geosynchronous orbit?
In generating a planetary map, does the generator take into account the variation of temperature with latitude on a fast-rotating world and place ice caps appropriately. What about taking into account the latitudinal bands of moist and dry climates produced by Hadley cells in atmospheric circulation?
When mapping a world tide-locked to its star, does the generator place an ice-cap on the dark side and calculate the drop of ocean levels?
Does the generator report the effect of orbital eccentricity on tides and temperature? Does it indicate the degree of seasonality as a function of obliquity?
Does the generator estimate and report the violence of weather (storminess and windiness) depending on atmospheric parameters, wateriness, rotation rate, temperature variations, etc?
Does the generator indicate the variation of atmospheric pressure with altitude, indicate a maximum breathable altitude, etc.?
Does the generator report how bright the sunlight is in visible bands? (i.e. taking into account the bolometric correction for the star that the planet is orbiting).
Does the generator take into account the age of the system in determining whether a planet has developed an oxygen atmosphere? Does it adjust for the proportion of sunlight that is energetic enough to drive photosynthesis? (i.e take into account the bolometric correction again) In the case of stars that have brightened appreciably in the last few billion years, does it take into account the length of time that the planet has been in the life zone?
I don't intend any criticism if it doesn't do all these things. That'd be a lot to ask. I would just like to know which of those considerations are addressed.
Regards,
Brett
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