How do astronomers think jupiter generates its internal heat?

Question

How do astronomers think jupiter generates its internal heat?

Answer 1

Two ways.  As the planet cools, it shrinks.  But if you drop a rock to the ground, the potential energy it had before you dropped it is converted to kinetic energy (speed) as it falls.  When it hits the ground, that energy it converted to heat.  So, as Jupiter cools, it heats up.  Strange, right?

But also, just as the Earth has radioactive elements that give off heat as they decay, so does Jupiter.

Answer 2

The high pressure caused by Jupiter's high gravity is the cause of the internal heat. It's just like the way your air conditioner heats up the refrigerant. It's called the compressor. When gases are compressed, they get hotter. Jupiter's gravity causes such an extreme amount of pressure near its core that the hydrogen gas becomes metallic and liquefied, even though it's thousands of degrees hot.

Answer 3

Jupiter's large mass and gravity creates high pressure in it's gassy atmosphere. Towards the center of the planet the pressure is greatest and when all those little molecules are under pressure they rub against eachother and heat up from the friction.

Answer 4

Jupiter still has a huge amount of heat left over from it's formation, and it hasn't had enough time to cool off since it's formation 4.6 billion years ago. There are other sources of it's internal heat however. One is the planet's slow contraction from it's own gravity as it cools, the other are extreme pressures and temperatures in the planet's interior. They are so great high hydrogen and helium exist in a liquid metallic state in Jupiter's core. Because of it's liquid metallic state, the interior of Jupiter is also highly electrically conductive and electrical currents passing through a conductor also generate heat as well as the planet's intense magnetic field.