- #1
Althistorybuff
- 20
- 0
I've been doing some thinking on a sci-fi story about a colony around a Red Dwarf Star.
I understand that most planets around Red Dwarf Stars, at least in the habitable zone, would be tidally locked. I created another thread to ask about ways to maintain a planetary rotation.
My main question here is related to prospects of life around these Red Dwarf Stars.
Recent research appears to point to tidally locked planets being more capable of supporting life than initially supposed. Original thoughts focused on a boiling side of the planet facing the star and a freezing one on the other side. However, recently scholars are rethinking that the atmospheric transfer of heat would likely be easier than presupposed. That is good for my story.
However, bad for my story is that astro-physicists appear to think the rapid changes in solar activity - solar spots and flares that last months - would either freeze or bake the planet. Corona ejections would likely wipe out any atmosphere early in the planet's history.
Is there a way to avoid this?
Maybe a composition of the planetary core which would create a more powerful magnetic field that would make for greater protection from cosmic radiation and assorted assaults?
What would this composition be? Is there any metals that could be added in greater quantities that would form a stronger magnetic field than the iron-nickel core?
Would the magnetic field change significantly based upon it being a young planet?
Would a faster rotational spin make any sort of difference?
What would make a difference?
I understand that most planets around Red Dwarf Stars, at least in the habitable zone, would be tidally locked. I created another thread to ask about ways to maintain a planetary rotation.
My main question here is related to prospects of life around these Red Dwarf Stars.
Recent research appears to point to tidally locked planets being more capable of supporting life than initially supposed. Original thoughts focused on a boiling side of the planet facing the star and a freezing one on the other side. However, recently scholars are rethinking that the atmospheric transfer of heat would likely be easier than presupposed. That is good for my story.
However, bad for my story is that astro-physicists appear to think the rapid changes in solar activity - solar spots and flares that last months - would either freeze or bake the planet. Corona ejections would likely wipe out any atmosphere early in the planet's history.
Is there a way to avoid this?
Maybe a composition of the planetary core which would create a more powerful magnetic field that would make for greater protection from cosmic radiation and assorted assaults?
What would this composition be? Is there any metals that could be added in greater quantities that would form a stronger magnetic field than the iron-nickel core?
Would the magnetic field change significantly based upon it being a young planet?
Would a faster rotational spin make any sort of difference?
What would make a difference?