Where does all the dust go?

[holmec]

In the inner solar system, if the Sun blows out all the dust, where does the dust end up, the asteroid belt? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Actually dust goes both ways, depending on size, and what kind of orbit the dust is in.<br />The more massive particles lose energy and spiral into the sun, the smallest ones are blown away in th solar wind to "out there".<br />There's nothing to stop them at the asteroid belt. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[deapfreeze]

Oh I see. I thought there was a galactic maid service dusting everything off.. That was a good question and I had no idea where the dust would go. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#0000ff"><em>William ( deapfreeze ) Hooper</em></font></p><p><font size="1">http://deapfreeze-amateur-astronomy.tk/</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[holmec]

>There's nothing to stop them at the asteroid belt.<br /><<br /><br />I would assume that the asteroid belt itself would stop some dust. Gravity pull and all. I also would assume that the gas giants would capture some. <br /><br />But do you think the Keiper belt catches most of them? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

The objects in the KB are so far apart and so small I doubt they'd have much effect. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[holmec]

I guess some exploration is needed to answer this one. <br /><br />To me its not enough to say where it doesn't go or to say it just blows away. It goes somewhere, and it may benefit us to know where. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Well, the stuff light enough gets blown away from the sun, which leads to "out there" <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />I should point out that material in ortbit, continues in orbit for a ling time (see meteor showers) before these other forces actions spread it out. When I have time later this evening I'll give some more detailed answers. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[dragon04]

It's an utterly complex interaction of gravity and force.<br /><br />The Solar Wind might be of sufficient force to push individual particles or combinations of particles outward. But when enough particles are grouped together to provide enough mass to find a "balanced position" relative to gravity, they do so.<br /><br />In the early Solar System, It was a relatively random and chaotic process.<br /><br />But the Universe likes Order. It prefers balance. What we observe today is the <b>result</b> of that inclination towards order.<br /><br />The big problem is the time scale involved in how that order is determined. If we had the luxury of observing the next new Sun-like star acting on the same or comparable level as our Sun and solar system did in our ancient past, the answers would be obvious.<br /><br />Unfortunately, we don't live half a billion years. And what makes it worse, is that each unique solar system can be subject to forces we can't quanitfy.<br /><br />IOW, we have no clue as to how many Sol mass (or greater or even lesser) stars had gravitational effects on how our own Solar System came to be. Random "passers by" may define our existence.<br /><br />We only know how things are now. And that's the mechanism by which we formulate our theories. Unfortunately, we can't know the unique circumstances that caused our Solar System to manifest itself as we observe it.<br /><br />All we really can do is describe how our Sun influences and dictates the end result that we see today forward.<br /><br />That's a pretty unsatisfactory answer, but it's the best we can do. There are an infinite number of interactions that caused you and I to exist. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"2012.. Year of the Dragon!! Get on the Dragon Wagon!".</em> </div>

 

[holmec]

Thanks Dragon, that's a pretty good answer. I wonder if that's how we got comets. We could make a message in a bottle of sorts by putting out there devices of the same mass to volume ratio as dust and seeing where they go. Like studies have done for oceanic current studies. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[nexium]

Let's assume the sun blows off one ton per second of extremely fine dust = 3600 tons per hour = 86,400 tons per day ect. At a distance of one million kilometers from the center of the sun the area of the sphere is 4 pie r squared = 12.56 times 10 to the 12 th power. That is 6.8 milligrams per square kilometer per day, if my arithmetic is correct. The point is the amount of dust per square kilometer become insignificant as we move away from the sun, as it decreases as the square of the distance. Neil

 

[holmec]

well, for how long? I'd say time is what may make it significant. But more importantly where it goes should tell us new things like do solar systems share material? Why is ther e a kuiper belt and an asteroid belt where they are?<br /><br />It may give us understanding how the cosmos is an eco system of its own. And may show us the way to a fuel source out there some where to navigate with or matter to use in creative ways. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[derekmcd]

In "dust", I assume you are talking about solar winds? They will end up in the heliopause. Beyond that, I believe, only elementary particles (i.e photons, neutrinos) can continue on. I really depends on the mass of the particles and how they interact with the interstellar medium. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div> </div><br /><div><span style="color:#0000ff" class="Apple-style-span">"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing." - Homer Simpson</span></div> </div>

 

[holmec]

yes that's it. Thanks. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

A couple of links about T. Tauri star evolution, which you might find relevant.<br /><br />http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Edu/sform.html<br /><br />http://www.peripatus.gen.nz/Astronomy/TTauSta.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[holmec]

Thanks Yavaud, that's really interesting<br /><br />All I found of dust and heliopause is on interstellar dust but its still relevant<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heliosphere<br /><br />http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/ApJ/journal/issues/ApJ/v499n1/36952/sc0.html<br /><br />if our heliopause deals with interstellar dust, we probably emit interstellar dust (or have in the past) to other star systems. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

True, as T. Tauri star evolution frequently involves agglomerations of many times the total solar mass in dust at first (10-100 times at times). Clearly much of this is expelled. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[nexium]

I agree, we can learn things by studying the solar wind. I suppose most of the solar wind is balistic, but faster than escape velocity of the solar system, perhaps faster than the escape velosity of our galaxy in some directions. The way I heard it, the solar wind particles blow about 500 kilometers per second. My guess is 99% of these particles pass the planets, asteroids KBOs, comets and the Heliopause = they are really out there a few years after they leave the Sun. Neil