Could Laythe actually exist with real physics?

[Sᴄɪɴᴛɪʟʟᴀᴛᴏʀ]

Mathematically it "only" needs to be x11 more dense, following the /11 smaller radius. Earth's density is 5.5 g/cm³, hence Kerbin only needs 60.5 g/cm³. This could be attainable if the core of Kerbin consisted of a superheavy synthetic element, like Unbihexium.

Yes, because thats' much more likely.

The developers wanted a few interesting planets with enough gravity to make the presence of their atmospheres believable but because the kerbol system is so scaled down they messed with the density of everything. The question is "Could Laythe actually exist with real physics?" and the answer is no, all of the elements of high enough density to make it possible just wouldn't exist in sufficient quantities to make up a planet let alone a whole system.

[Inspector Gadget]

Tidal forces and heating i think has already been explained in the previous comments (I'm going with the heated Europe solution), so the problem remaining is the radiation. For this I see two possible solutions:

1. The atmosphere contains a greenhouse gas or element that can absorb the radiation.

2. Living at deep sea where the radiation isn't as high.

[Cryocasm]

Yes, because thats' much more likely.

The developers wanted a few interesting planets with enough gravity to make the presence of their atmospheres believable but because the kerbol system is so scaled down they messed with the density of everything. The question is "Could Laythe actually exist with real physics?" and the answer is no, all of the elements of high enough density to make it possible just wouldn't exist in sufficient quantities to make up a planet let alone a whole system.

Well, obviously. It remains interesting to find theoretically (not even close to practical) possible solutions.

[coyote47713]

holy christ this is confusing

[DisarmingBaton5]

Are you saying that we are going to be able to equip kerbals with led lined underpants?

LED lined underpants? I want those irl!

[Daddy Cecil]

Or, instead of all these can Laythe exist in the real world questions, the Kerbol system is in an alternate dimension, an alternate universe with alternate physics system, elements, etc. No doubt from the resource update teasers you've gotten such puns on real elements like "Blutonium." So we can safely say that Kerbals are in an alternate dimension; they're in a video game for crying out loud!

[WhiteWeasel]

Yes, because thats' much more likely.

The developers wanted a few interesting planets with enough gravity to make the presence of their atmospheres believable but because the kerbol system is so scaled down they messed with the density of everything. The question is "Could Laythe actually exist with real physics?" and the answer is no, all of the elements of high enough density to make it possible just wouldn't exist in sufficient quantities to make up a planet let alone a whole system.

Well what if we took a liberty and assumed the ksp planets were scaled up by x11 like they are supposed to represent.

[Sᴄɪɴᴛɪʟʟᴀᴛᴏʀ]

Well what if we took a liberty and assumed the ksp planets were scaled up by x11 like they are supposed to represent.

That isn't the question and they aren't but if you took that liberty you still face the question of why the global temperature on Laythe can reach as high as 6°C. Mars as represented by Duna is -20°C on average and at much further away Laythe should be a snowball. The heating effect from a gas giant isn't that significant with all of jupiter's moons having average temperatures well bellow -100°C.

In fact, Europa can get down to around ~-225°C which is bad news for Laythe since Oxygen melts at ~-219°C.

[Themohawkninja]

That isn't the question and they aren't but if you took that liberty you still face the question of why the global temperature on Laythe can reach as high as 6°C. Mars as represented by Duna is -20°C on average and at much further away Laythe should be a snowball. The heating effect from a gas giant isn't that significant with all of jupiter's moons having average temperatures well bellow -100°C.

In fact, Europa can get down to around ~-225°C which is bad news for Laythe since Oxygen melts at ~-219°C.

Ah, but you are forgetting the greenhouse effect. Europa has no (or rather a negligible) atmosphere, and therefor no heat retention. Laythe has a significant atmosphere, and therefor a good deal of heat retention.

[Brotoro]

Also, the tidal forces in the Joolian system are much greater than they are in the Jovian system because of the small distances.

[Sᴄɪɴᴛɪʟʟᴀᴛᴏʀ]

Ah, but you are forgetting the greenhouse effect. Europa has no (or rather a negligible) atmosphere, and therefor no heat retention. Laythe has a significant atmosphere, and therefor a good deal of heat retention.

That heat retention can only do so much, Titan has an atmosphere 1.2 times the size of Earth's yet it clocks in at a chilly −179.5 °C.

How would it get its oxygen-rich atmosphere without plant-life? It would be extremely unlikely to find an oxygen-rich atmosphere without photosynthesis and at well bellow the melting point of carbon dioxide photosynthesis is impossible.

Regardless, once you start taking liberties such as dimension changes where do you stop and say Laythe as seen in game can't exist with real world physics as per the OP question?

[Themohawkninja]

That heat retention can only do so much, Titan has an atmosphere 1.2 times the size of Earth's yet it clocks in at a chilly −179.5 °C.

How would it get its oxygen-rich atmosphere without plant-life? It would be extremely unlikely to find an oxygen-rich atmosphere without photosynthesis and at well bellow the melting point of carbon dioxide plant life as we know it is impossible.

Regardless, once you start taking liberties such as dimension changes where do you stop and say Laythe as seen in game can't exist with real world physics as per the OP question?

Well, the idea behind Laythe was supposed to be if Europa in the orbit that Io was in. This creates much more tidal heating due to resonance orbits (although I don't know if the Joolean moons are in resonance. That combined with the dense atmosphere might make a high enough temperature. I highly doubt it though (hence why I, the OP asked the question).

[Kerbface]

That isn't the question and they aren't but if you took that liberty you still face the question of why the global temperature on Laythe can reach as high as 6°C. Mars as represented by Duna is -20°C on average and at much further away Laythe should be a snowball. The heating effect from a gas giant isn't that significant with all of jupiter's moons having average temperatures well bellow -100°C.

In fact, Europa can get down to around ~-225°C which is bad news for Laythe since Oxygen melts at ~-219°C.

Laythe is supposed to be, if I recall, very volcanically active (though it can't yet be represented in the game), which in addition to the thick atmosphere, probably gives it a much better chance of being warm. Geothermal heating in the oceans and in the atmosphere.

[RedDwarfIV]

That heat retention can only do so much, Titan has an atmosphere 1.2 times the size of Earth's yet it clocks in at a chilly −179.5 °C.

How would it get its oxygen-rich atmosphere without plant-life? It would be extremely unlikely to find an oxygen-rich atmosphere without photosynthesis and at well bellow the melting point of carbon dioxide photosynthesis is impossible.

Regardless, once you start taking liberties such as dimension changes where do you stop and say Laythe as seen in game can't exist with real world physics as per the OP question?

Enceladus has a 'significant' oxygen atmosphere, largely produced by cryovolcanism, but also radiation hitting ice and breaking it up into hydrogen and oxygen. There's a name for the process beginning with 'radio', but I don't remember it.

Dione, Rhea and Europa all have similarly produced tenuous atmospheres.

[Sephlington]

Rather than scaling the planets up 11x, or assuming they're made of materials 11x denser than what our planet & system are made of, I'd imagine it'd be more likely to imagine that the force of gravity itself is different in whatever universe the Kerbol system is in. It would mean, of course, that Laythe totally couldn't exist with our physics because it'd spontaneously vaporise as the force pulling it together became significantly weaker.

Next step: develop the theory of Kerbal Relativity.