The Faint Young Sun Paradox: A Simplified Thermodynamic Approach

Classical models of the Sun suggest that the energy output in the early stage of its evolution was 30 percent less than today. In this context, radiative balance alone between The Sun and the Earth was not sufficient to explain the early presence of liquid water on Earth’s surface. This difficulty i...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: F. Angulo-Brown, Marco A. Rosales, M. A. Barranco-Jiménez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Advances in Astronomy
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/478957
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849306850472755200
author F. Angulo-Brown
Marco A. Rosales
M. A. Barranco-Jiménez
author_facet F. Angulo-Brown
Marco A. Rosales
M. A. Barranco-Jiménez
author_sort F. Angulo-Brown
collection DOAJ
description Classical models of the Sun suggest that the energy output in the early stage of its evolution was 30 percent less than today. In this context, radiative balance alone between The Sun and the Earth was not sufficient to explain the early presence of liquid water on Earth’s surface. This difficulty is called the faint young Sun paradox. Many proposals have been published to solve this paradox. In the present work, we propose an oversimplified finite-time thermodynamic approach that describes the air convective cells in the Earth atmosphere. This model introduces two atmospheric modes of thermodynamic performance: a first mode consisting in the maximization of the power output of the convective cells (maximum power regime) and a second mode that consists in maximizing a functional representing a good trade-off between power output and entropy production (the ecological regime). Within the assumptions of this oversimplified model, we present different scenarios of albedo and greenhouse effects that seem realistic to preserve liquid water on the Earth in the early stage of formation.
format Article
id doaj-art-1ecf943c1f99492bbf1df99eaa0638f6
institution Kabale University
issn 1687-7969
1687-7977
language English
publishDate 2012-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Advances in Astronomy
spelling doaj-art-1ecf943c1f99492bbf1df99eaa0638f62025-08-20T03:54:57ZengWileyAdvances in Astronomy1687-79691687-79772012-01-01201210.1155/2012/478957478957The Faint Young Sun Paradox: A Simplified Thermodynamic ApproachF. Angulo-Brown0Marco A. Rosales1M. A. Barranco-Jiménez2Departamento de Física, Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, UP Zacatenco, 07738 Mexico, DF, MexicoDepartamento de Física, Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, UP Zacatenco, 07738 Mexico, DF, MexicoDepartamento de Formación Básica, Escuela Superior de Cómputo, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Avenida Juan de Dios Batiz s/n. Esquina M. Othón de Mendizabal UP Adolfo López Mateos, 07738 Mexico, DF, MexicoClassical models of the Sun suggest that the energy output in the early stage of its evolution was 30 percent less than today. In this context, radiative balance alone between The Sun and the Earth was not sufficient to explain the early presence of liquid water on Earth’s surface. This difficulty is called the faint young Sun paradox. Many proposals have been published to solve this paradox. In the present work, we propose an oversimplified finite-time thermodynamic approach that describes the air convective cells in the Earth atmosphere. This model introduces two atmospheric modes of thermodynamic performance: a first mode consisting in the maximization of the power output of the convective cells (maximum power regime) and a second mode that consists in maximizing a functional representing a good trade-off between power output and entropy production (the ecological regime). Within the assumptions of this oversimplified model, we present different scenarios of albedo and greenhouse effects that seem realistic to preserve liquid water on the Earth in the early stage of formation.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/478957
spellingShingle F. Angulo-Brown
Marco A. Rosales
M. A. Barranco-Jiménez
The Faint Young Sun Paradox: A Simplified Thermodynamic Approach
Advances in Astronomy
title The Faint Young Sun Paradox: A Simplified Thermodynamic Approach
title_full The Faint Young Sun Paradox: A Simplified Thermodynamic Approach
title_fullStr The Faint Young Sun Paradox: A Simplified Thermodynamic Approach
title_full_unstemmed The Faint Young Sun Paradox: A Simplified Thermodynamic Approach
title_short The Faint Young Sun Paradox: A Simplified Thermodynamic Approach
title_sort faint young sun paradox a simplified thermodynamic approach
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/478957
work_keys_str_mv AT fangulobrown thefaintyoungsunparadoxasimplifiedthermodynamicapproach
AT marcoarosales thefaintyoungsunparadoxasimplifiedthermodynamicapproach
AT mabarrancojimenez thefaintyoungsunparadoxasimplifiedthermodynamicapproach
AT fangulobrown faintyoungsunparadoxasimplifiedthermodynamicapproach
AT marcoarosales faintyoungsunparadoxasimplifiedthermodynamicapproach
AT mabarrancojimenez faintyoungsunparadoxasimplifiedthermodynamicapproach