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Re: Thermal Energy - thermalization of rotational energy



Disclaimer... I teach astronomy by default. I am not an astrophysicist
except as an amateur.

If we have a rotating cloud of matter that is going to collapse (by gravity)
into a solar system, the angular momentum will be conserved. However, as
gravity takes it toll and the star forms and the planets form, some of the
angular momentum shows up as rotations of the planets as well as revolutions
of the planets. This means some of the original rotational energy ends up
as planetary rotational energy as well as planetary revolutional energy.

Isn't this a "thermalization" of the bulk rotational energy of the system
into rotational energy of individual pieces without external interactions?

Here's another astronomy example. Jupiter's moon Io is heated by passing
"organized rotational energy" into thermal energy via gravitational stresses
on Io as it revolves. Isn't this also an example of thermalization of
rotational energy without external interaction?


Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D. Phone/voice-mail: 419-358-3270
Professor of Chemistry & Physics FAX: 419-358-3323
Chairman, Science Department E-Mail edmiston@bluffton.edu
Bluffton College
280 West College Avenue
Bluffton, OH 45817