Experimental setup (IMAGE)

University of Pennsylvania

Experimental setup

Caption

Daisuke Noto’s tabletop tank experiment (left) mimics the extreme day-night temperature contrast on the tidally locked exoplanet LHS 3844 b, using colored liquid to visualize mantle motion. Hot fluid rises on the day side, cools, and sinks on the night side, creating a stable loop. When mapped onto a real planetary interior (right), the same pattern predicts focused volcanic activity on the sunlit side and a potentially habitable twilight zone in between.

Credit

Daisuke Noto

Usage Restrictions

Ask Daisuke Noto for permission to redistribute.

License

Original content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.