What considerations are involved in determining whether or not a ...

[ss2343]

What considerations are involved in determining whether or not a planet will have an atmosphere? What physical factors are involved in determining the temperature of a planet?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What are X-ray bursters?
 
  A) They are the central sources of energy for planetary nebulae.
  B) They are very massive stars that explode as supernovae, emitting bursts of X- rays and gamma-rays in the process.
  C) They are rapidly rotating black holes whose precession points their poles toward us on occasion.
  D) They are violent energy sources known to lie at the heart of the Milky Way and similar massive galaxies.
  E) They are neutron stars on which accreted matter builds up, then explodes in a violent nuclear explosion.

[nathang24]

Answer to Question 1

Escape velocity and temperature are the key factors. Escape velocity depends on the planet's mass and size. If the gas of the atmosphere has an average speed (at the planet's temperature) of less than one sixth of the planet's escape velocity, that gas will be retained in the atmosphere. Temperature depends primarily on distance from the Sun, but also on the gases in the atmosphere. Gases like carbon dioxide and water vapor will trap heat, leading to a Greenhouse Effect and a planetary temperature higher than would otherwise exist.

Answer to Question 2

E