El Nido / 65000000 B.C.

[Leebot]

or, we could say that the world CT takes place on is much smaller than earth.

Well, no, we could not, unless we wish to throw out all of physics with it, rending most of the scientific discussion on these forums useless. You see, a smaller world would have less gravity. To make it that much smaller you would probably have enough gravity to be able to jump 20m and more into the air.

That's easy, it has a superdense core.

[Daniel Krispin]

Superdense of what? Earth's core is iron. Now, for the size that's shown, taking into account that the closer proximity to the centre of gravity, it'd have to be what? Five, six times heavier? The volume of something that has one quarter the radius would be something around thirty or fourty times. Taking into account the radius being that much smaller, we get at least three or four times the mass needed in that same volume. Now, I can't quite remember material properties, but what would the core of this world be, to make it four times heavier than iron? Uranium?

[Leebot]

Platinum is the only element that's at all reasonable (its density is about 3x that of iron). Denser elements are incredibly rare and/or radioactive. Now, if the "core" of this planet were a lot larger than Earth's core, this may be enough.

Now, if we go beyond the realm of chemistry, there could be a small (volume-wise) amount of neutronium at the center of the planet. Neutronium is a material crushed together so tightly that the electrons and protons of atoms have merged into neutrons. To give an example of its density, an amount of neutronium the size of a pin-tip would be as massive as the Empire States Building.

The problem with this is that neutronium is normally only found in neutron stars (the remnants of stars that went supernova), which have a mass much greater than our sun's, way bigger than what we're looking for. However, cosmologists have theorized that during the creation of the universe, relatively light neutron stars and black holes may have formed. It may be possible for one of these light neutron stars to have gathered mass around it to become a small, but massive planet.

Then again, it's a lot easier to just say its magic. In CC, the Black element has a lot of gravity-related effects. Perhaps a concetration of Black energy at the center of the planet could result in its increased gravity.

[doulifee]

osmium has a better density than iron or platinium if you want to go that way...

[Leebot]

True, but Osmium is a lot rarer than Platinum and I'm not sure if it has a stable isotope.

[Zaperking]

Maybe the core of the world is made out of Dreamstone? I doubt the Crono Universe has anything like Earth does.... Well I mean the little things like uranium etc.

DREAMSTONE ALL THE WAY LOL!

[Lazarus Plus]

The Neutronium idea? No way. The world would be steadily and quickly compacting under the gravitational power of even one cubic mm of neutronium. I don't think that'd work scientifically.

[GrayLensman]

The planet cannot be as small as the world map would lead you to believe.  I can list the evidence to the contrary.

• Panoramas in Chrono Trigger and Cross show the horizon with standard distance and curvature.  A small planet would be noticeably different.
• If the planet is very small, the radioactive elements which produce geothermal heat will run out quickly.  This is the difference between Earth and Mars.  Without sufficient geothermal heat, continental drift, vulcanism, and the carbon cycle (which regulates the atmosphere) cannot occur.
• The Earth's atmosphere is constantly replenished by volcanic out-gassing.  A planet the size of a small moon will not be able to maintain an earthlike atmosphere.
• The core of the planet cannot be made of an exotic material because Lavos is able to burrow into it.
• Although the image of the planet at the end of Chrono Trigger is not to scale, the image shown during the animation of the Meteor Shower Element  in Cross looks realistic.[/list:u]
  There is probably more evidence, but I think this is sufficient.

[SilentMartyr]

Wow, I have learned more today reading this thread then I did all week in lectures.

[Lazarus Plus]

• If the planet is very small, the radioactive elements which produce geothermal heat will run out quickly.  This is the difference between Earth and Mars.  Without sufficient geothermal heat, continental drift, vulcanism, and the carbon cycle (which regulates the atmosphere) cannot occur.
• The Earth's atmosphere is constantly replenished by volcanic out-gassing.  A planet the size of a small moon will not be able to maintain an earthlike atmosphere.=

I wasn't aware that radioactive elements fueled geothermal heat. I thought that had a lot more to do with the compression in the core and internal flow patterns.

Couldn't a planet the size of a small moon nevertheless maintain a sufficently large enough biomass that it would not lose it's atmosphere?

Not trying to piss you off, just questions I had about your assertions.

[GrayLensman]

If the planet is very small, the radioactive elements which produce geothermal heat will run out quickly.  This is the difference between Earth and Mars.  Without sufficient geothermal heat, continental drift, vulcanism, and the carbon cycle (which regulates the atmosphere) cannot occur.

The Earth's atmosphere is constantly replenished by volcanic out-gassing.  A planet the size of a small moon will not be able to maintain an earthlike atmosphere.

I wasn't aware that radioactive elements fuelled geothermal heat. I thought that had a lot more to do with the compression in the core and internal flow patterns.

Couldn't a planet the size of a small moon nevertheless maintain a sufficiently large enough biomass that it would not lose it's atmosphere?

Not trying to piss you off, just questions I had about your assertions.

Heat is created during the formation of a planet through friction, but on a geologic time scale, this primordial heat is quickly radiated into space.  Some heat is produced by the continued compression of the earth's interior by gravity, but most is produced by the radioactive decay.  Some scientists even think that there may be a massive naturally occurring nuclear reactor at the center of the earth.

About the atmosphere, I double checked my sources and this statement was incorrect.  When the earth accreted from the solar nebula, it had an atmosphere of Hydrogen and Helium gas.  These light elements were quickly lost to space because the earth's gravity wasn't strong enough to contain them.  The earth's second atmosphere, consisting of heavier elements, was formed through volcanic out gassing.  The earth's gravity is sufficient to contain this atmosphere, so it is not dependant on continuous volcanic activity, except for the carbon cycle (very important).  However, a molten core is required to create a magnetic field to protect the atmosphere form the solar wind, which ties into the above point.

A very small planet would solidify in only a few million years, which isn't enough time for an atmosphere to form.  Also, without a molten core to produce a magnetic field, the planet's atmosphere would be "blown away" by the solar wind.

[doulifee]

interesting topic Grey. thx

[Daniel Krispin]

Indeed. I did not know that.

[SilentMartyr]

Grey, what are/did you study(ing) in college? I am asking cause I am losing interest in my major and would like to see what else is out there.

[Daniel Krispin]

Grey, what are/did you study(ing) in college? I am asking cause I am losing interest in my major and would like to see what else is out there.

You too, eh? Though it's a little late for me to switch programs...