Carbon - Revision history

RichardWSmith: fixing link.

2024-12-11T17:08:29Z

fixing link.

RichardWSmith: Mars' early atmosphere couldn't be above 4 bar.

2024-12-11T17:07:19Z

Mars' early atmosphere couldn't be above 4 bar.

RichardWSmith: /* Carbon in terraforming */ fixed link.

2024-10-25T16:11:30Z

Carbon in terraforming: fixed link.

RichardWSmith: Added section on carbon in terraforming. Mostly links to pages with more details.

2024-10-25T16:10:14Z

Added section on carbon in terraforming. Mostly links to pages with more details.

RichardWSmith: Added link.

2024-10-25T16:03:53Z

Added link.

RichardWSmith: /* Origin */ Added the CNO cycle in fusion processes in stars.

2021-06-23T12:39:23Z

Origin: Added the CNO cycle in fusion processes in stars.

Michel Lamontagne: /* Organic Chemistry */

2021-06-22T19:59:47Z

Organic Chemistry

Michel Lamontagne: /* Abundance */

2021-06-22T19:30:53Z

Abundance

Michel Lamontagne at 20:45, 16 November 2020

2020-11-16T20:45:46Z

Michel Lamontagne at 20:44, 16 November 2020

2020-11-16T20:44:48Z

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 The most common isotope is carbon 12, carbon 14 is used for radiocarbon dating.
-This study <ref>https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adm8443</ref>, finds that Mars is enriched with carbon 13.  This is likely due to the lighter [[Isotope]] being easier to lose from atmospheric loss.  The higher percentage of carbon 13 suggests that the Early Mars atmosphere pressure could not be above 4 bar.
+This study <ref>https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adm8443</ref>, finds that Mars is enriched with carbon 13.  This is likely due to the lighter [[Isotopes|Isotope]] being easier to lose from atmospheric loss.  The higher percentage of carbon 13 suggests that the Early Mars atmosphere pressure could not be above 4 bar.
 See [[Carbon cycle]] for the carbon cycles on Earth.

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 Carbon makes up about 0.39%<ref name="Phillips" /> of the matter in the solar system.
 The most common isotope is carbon 12, carbon 14 is used for radiocarbon dating.
 See [[Carbon cycle]] for the carbon cycles on Earth.

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 ==Carbon in terraforming==
-If more buried / frozen carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) were to be released to the Martian atmosphere, the planet would warm since CO<sub>2</sub> is a [[Greenhouse gas]].  This would help [[Terraforming]] the planet.  However, to completely terraform Mars (to give it a breathable atmosphere), the CO<sub>2</sub> would have to be drawn down to low levels which would ''cool'' the planet.  See [[Carbon Cycle]] for more information.
+If more buried / frozen carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) were to be released to the Martian atmosphere, the planet would warm since CO<sub>2</sub> is a [[Greenhouse gas]].  This would help [[Terraforming]] the planet.  However, to completely terraform Mars (to give it a breathable atmosphere), the CO<sub>2</sub> would have to be drawn down to low levels which would ''cool'' the planet.  See [[Carbon cycle]] for more information.
 ==See Also==

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 ==Organic Chemistry==
 Carbon is an essential element in [[organic chemistry|organic molecules]].  Atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> and CO should be adequate as sources for all hydrocarbons and organic chemistry requirements for a settlement.
 ==See Also==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:03, 25 October 2024
Line 11:		Line 11:

	The most common isotope is carbon 12, carbon 14 is used for radiocarbon dating.		The most common isotope is carbon 12, carbon 14 is used for radiocarbon dating.
		+
		+	See [[Carbon cycle]] for the carbon cycles on Earth.

	==Origin==		==Origin==

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 <math>{}^4 He + {}^4 He \rightleftharpoons {}^8 Be </math><br />
 <math>{}^4 He + {}^8 Be \rightleftharpoons {}^{12} C^\star</math><br />
-<math>{}^{12} C^\star \rightarrow {}^{12} C + 2\gamma</math> or <math>{}^{12} C^\star \rightarrow {}^{12} C + e^{+} + e^{-}</math><br />In brief, two helium-4 nuclei are fused to create highly unstable beryllium-8 nuclei. While most of these nuclei simply decay back to helium, a small fraction will fuse with another helium-4 nucleus to form yet another unstable nucleus, an excited state of carbon-12 (here denoted <math>{}^{12}C^\star</math>). While once again most of these nuclei will simply decay back to helium-4 and beryllium-8, a tiny fraction will instead randomly decay to the ground state of carbon-12, where they will remain. Over time, this process produces a lot of energy and carbon.<ref name="Phillips">A.C. Phillips - ''The physics of stars'' 2nd ed. 1999. Wiley. ISBN 0-471-98798-0. pp. 127-135.</ref><br />
+<math>{}^{12} C^\star \rightarrow {}^{12} C + 2\gamma</math> or <math>{}^{12} C^\star \rightarrow {}^{12} C + e^{+} + e^{-}</math><br />In brief, two helium-4 nuclei are fused to create highly unstable beryllium-8 nuclei. While most of these nuclei simply decay back to helium, a small fraction will fuse with another helium-4 nucleus to form yet another unstable nucleus, an excited state of carbon-12 (here denoted <math>{}^{12}C^\star</math>). While once again most of these nuclei will simply decay back to helium-4 and beryllium-8, a tiny fraction will instead randomly decay to the ground state of carbon-12, where they will remain. Over time, this process produces a lot of energy and carbon.<ref name="Phillips">A.C. Phillips - ''The physics of stars'' 2nd ed. 1999. Wiley. ISBN 0-471-98798-0. pp. 127-135.</ref><br />Once C12 has been created in a star, it can speed the fusion process using the CNO cycle (where C12 absorbs successive protons, becoming first Nitrogen then Oxygen, which then absorbs another proton and splits off a Helium nuclei and returns to C12).  The CNO cycle acts as a catalyst, allowing stars to burn Hydrogen into Helium faster, increasing their temperature.
-== Role of carbon-formation in the future of Mars ==
+==Role of carbon-formation in the future of Mars==
 Our sun, while massive enough to fuse helium, has not yet begun this process. When the helium core ignites in the distant future, the core will become very hot and dense, causing the outer layers of the sun to expand and cool<ref name="Phillips" />. This "red giant" phase of the sun's life will almost certainly destroy all life on Earth<ref name="RybickiDenis">K.R. Rybicki & C. Denis - ''On the Final Destiny of the Earth and the Solar System'' 2001. Icarus, Vol. 151(1) pp. 130–137. Abstract available [http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103501965911 here].</ref><ref name="SchröderSmith">K.-P. Schröder & R.C. Smith - ''Distant future of the Sun and Earth revisited'' 2008. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 386(1) pp. 155–163. Abstract available [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13022.x/abstract;jsessionid=4AB9DD7C567EA056FE9B3BE775B7E346.d01t03?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false here].</ref>, quite possibly evaporating the planet, but Mars is likely to survive<ref name="RybickiDenis" />. Whether conditions on Mars would be tolerable for any Earth-origin lifeforms at that time depends on less accurately known aspects of the process, mainly how much mass the sun loses and how much drag the planet experiences, but it seems likely<ref name="LopezSchneiderDanchi">B. Lopez, J. Schneider & W.C. Danchi - '' Can Life Develop in the Expanded Habitable Zones around Red Giant Stars? '' 2005. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 627(2). Full text [http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/627/2/974 here].</ref> that the planet will be reasonably tolerable for hundreds of millions, if not billions of years.

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 }}
-'''Carbon''' is a nonmetallic [[Elements on Mars|element]]. carbon on Mars is abundant in the the form of [[carbon dioxide]]. Elemental carbon can be produced via the [[bosch reaction]]. One of the important uses of carbon in a colony would be in the production of [[plastics]] and [[hydrocarbons]].<br />
+'''Carbon,''' ''[[Elements on Mars|periodic table]] C,''  is a nonmetallic [[Elements on Mars|element]]. carbon on Mars is abundant in the the form of [[carbon dioxide]]. Elemental carbon can be produced via the [[bosch reaction]]. One of the important uses of carbon in a colony would be in the production of [[plastics]] and [[hydrocarbons]].<br />
 Carbon makes up about 0.39%<ref name="Phillips" /> of the matter in the solar system.