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top: 120px; left: 0px;"><div id="div_body_header" class="home"><span>Carbon Worlds</span></div><div id="div_body_panels"><div class="topshort"><img src="/images/spacer.gif" width="0" height="0"/></div><div class="middle"><span><div align="right" style="padding-bottom: 8px;"><small><a href="/eg-topic/45b1737b111b7">Science</a> > <a href="/eg-topic/45b2e52e9eaac">Planetology</a><br></small></div><div class="imagepanel ipposcenter100"><table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr><td width="100%"><h3 style="text-align:center">Adamean Type Worlds</h3></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center" width="100%"><a href="/im_store/Carbon-Black-Planet2.png" rel="lightbox" title="Carbon-rich Terrestrial worlds<br/>Image from LordOther"><img border="0" alt="Adamean Planet" src="/im_store/med_Carbon-Black-Planet2.png" width="600" height="583"></a><div align="right">Image from <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person164">LordOther</a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" width="100%" style="text-align:center">Carbon-rich Terrestrial worlds</td></tr></table></div> Most planets form from <a href="/eg-article/47a1353481fb2">protoplanetary clouds</a> where the ratio of <a href="/eg-article/460323f547063">carbon</a> to oxygen is less than one, and oxygen predominates in the formation process. If the <a href="/eg-article/45e3a15f77994">accretion disk</a> has a carbon/oxygen ratio greater than one, carbides and graphites condense out far more readily than do silicates, which make up the bulk of more common terrestrial worlds.<br><br>The resulting worlds also lack water, since H<sub>2</sub>O reacts with metal carbides. Any water-ice impactors that arrive will react with the carbides already present and produce hydroxides and methane. Steam from the impactor also reacts with graphite in the crust to release hydrogen and carbon monoxide.<br><br>A large carbon world generally has a lower crust or upper mantle of compressed diamond, which conducts heat readily and allows the core of the planet to cool more rapidly than a silicon-rich world with an equivalent mass. The cool core can only produce a weak magnetic field, an effect which leads to increased atmospheric loss.<br><div class="imagepanel ipposcenter100"><table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr><td style="text-align:center" width="100%"><a href="/im_store/CARBONPLANET.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="Adamean worlds - cross-section<br/>Image from Steve Bowers"><img border="0" alt="Carbon planet" src="/im_store/med_CARBONPLANET.jpg" width="600" height="335"></a><div align="right">Image from <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person9">Steve Bowers</a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" width="100%" style="text-align:center">Adamean worlds - cross-section</td></tr></table></div> <br clear="all"/> These worlds have atmospheres largely composed of carbon monoxide, methane, and long-chain carbon compounds synthesized photochemically in their atmospheres. Indeed, this last substance often precipitates and evaporates on a carbon planet's surface, and seas and lakes of oil or tar-like substances often form. <br><br><br><div class="imagepanel ipposcenter100"><table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr><td style="text-align:center" width="100%"><a href="/im_store/ribbonworld.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="Solaris, a carbon world (Adamean type) has oceans of hydrocarbons and an atmosphere rich in organic compounds; there is, however, no life on this world. The planet is currently surrounded by a low-gravity Ribbonworld structure, mostly constucted from carbon nanomaterials.<br/>Image from Steve Bowers "><img border="0" alt="ribbonworld" src="/im_store/med_ribbonworld.jpg" width="600" height="401"></a><div align="right">Image from <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person9">Steve Bowers</a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" width="100%" style="text-align:center">Solaris, a carbon world (Adamean type) has oceans of hydrocarbons and an atmosphere rich in organic compounds; there is, however, no life on this world. The planet is currently surrounded by a low-gravity Ribbonworld structure, mostly constucted from carbon nanomaterials.</td></tr></table></div> <br clear="all"/> Carbon worlds are typically less dense than <a href="/eg-article/464d099f35f57">Ferrinian worlds</a>, and slightly less dense than <a href="/eg-article/4799637b58cdc">Eugaian</a> worlds, but denser than most waterworlds.<br><br clear="all"/> <hr> <br clear="all"/> Alternative biochemistries sometimes emerge on adamean worlds, using hydrocarbons instead of water as solvent. These rarely develop beyond the prebiotic stage. One exception is the complex biosphere which has evolved on the world <a href="/eg-article/558c7c3535d87">Uwa Mmanu</a>, a large carbon world with multicellular heterotrophs and autotrophs. <br><br><div class="imagepanel ipposcenter100"><table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr><td style="text-align:center" width="100%"><a href="/im_store/carbonworld3.png" rel="lightbox" title="The carbon world Uwa Mmanu, a superterrestrial adamaean type planet<br/>Image from Steve Bowers"><img border="0" alt="Ndiangu Mme Anwu" src="/im_store/med_carbonworld3.png" width="600" height="298"></a><div align="right">Image from <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person9">Steve Bowers</a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" width="100%" style="text-align:center">The carbon world Uwa Mmanu, a superterrestrial adamaean type planet</td></tr></table></div> <br clear="all"/> <div class="imagepanel ipposcenter100"><table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr><td style="text-align:center" width="100%"><a href="/im_store/Labrayuh.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="Labrayuh, a carbon world orbiting 61 Cygni B<br/>Image from Steve Bowers"><img border="0" alt="Labrayuh" src="/im_store/med_Labrayuh.jpg" width="600" height="379"></a><div align="right">Image from <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person9">Steve Bowers</a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" width="100%" style="text-align:center">Labrayuh, a carbon world orbiting 61 Cygni B</td></tr></table></div> <br clear="all"/> <div class="imagepanel ipposcenter100"><table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr><td style="text-align:center" width="100%"><a href="/im_store/Glim.png" rel="lightbox" title="Konsheir - a temperate carbon world orbiting Glim.<br/>Image from Steve Bowers"><img border="0" alt="Glim" src="/im_store/med_Glim.png" width="600" height="311"></a><div align="right">Image from <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person9">Steve Bowers</a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" width="100%" style="text-align:center">Konsheir - a temperate carbon world orbiting Glim.</td></tr></table></div> <br clear="all"/> <div class="imagepanel ipposcenter100"><table border="0" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="2" width="100%"><tr><td style="text-align:center" width="100%"><a href="/im_store/globe.png" rel="lightbox" title="A image of the surface of the Petrolic world Globe, simulated with the cloud cover removed<br/>Image from Steve Bowers"><img border="0" alt="Globe" src="/im_store/med_globe.png" width="600" height="314"></a><div align="right">Image from <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person9">Steve Bowers</a></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" width="100%" style="text-align:center">A image of the surface of the Petrolic world Globe, simulated with the cloud cover removed</td></tr></table></div></span></div><div class="bottom"> </div><div class="top"><div class="top_label"><span>Related Articles</span></div></div><div class="middle"><img src="/images/spacer.gif" width="0" height="0"/><span><ul style="margin:0px;"><li><b><a href="/eg-article/460323f547063">Carbon</a></b></li><li><b><a href="/eg-article/464d2b22470d1">Gaian Type</a></b></li><li><b><a href="/eg-article/4ce43b81bb70d">Glim (HD 223889)</a></b></li><li><b><a href="/eg-article/558c7c3535d87">Ndiangu Mme Anwu System, The</a></b></li><li><b><a href="/eg-article/491c78b89879b">Non-Luminary World Classification Scheme</a></b></li><li><b><a href="/eg-article/4983179dba6ac">Relative Cosmic Abundance of Elements</a></b></li><li><b><a href="/eg-article/4851da7a6f91b">Ribbonworlds</a></b></li><li><b><a href="/eg-article/4eea898c42349">Solaris</a></b></li></ul></span></div><div class="bottom"> </div><div class="top"><div class="top_label"><span>Appears in Topics</span></div></div><div class="middle"><table border="0" cellspacing="5" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><a href="/eg-topic/45b2e52e9eaac" class="topic_button">Planetology</a></td></tr></table></div><div class="bottom"> </div><div class="top"><div class="top_label"><span>Development Notes</span></div></div><div class="middle"><span>Text by <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person209">John M. Dollan</a> and <a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-people#person9">Steve Bowers</a><br/>Acknowledgements to Martyn Fogg for his assistance and suggestions<br/>Initially published on 18 November 2008.<br/><br/><h4>Additional Information</h4> A Powerpoint presentation by Martyn Fogg on the subject of <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=9438A2969F39B85B!122&authkey=!AOkn-mfIFNQ5u7Q&ithint=file%2cppt">Carbon planets is available here</a></span></div><div class="bottom"> </div><div id="return_to_top"><a href="#top">Return to Top</a></div> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript"> jQuery(window).scroll(function() { var top = jQuery(window).scrollTop(); if (top > 0) document.getElementById("return_to_top").style.display = "block"; else document.getElementById("return_to_top").style.display = "none"; }); </script> </div></div><div style="height: 100px;"> </div><div id="div_footer" style="position:relative; left:0px; top:83px;"><div class="foot_button" style="position:absolute; left:29px; top: 40px;"><a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-page&page=gen_terms"><span style="text-align: center">COPYRIGHT DATA</span></a></div><div class="foot_button" style="position:absolute; left:209px; top: 40px;"><a href="/xcms.php?r=oa-contact"><span style="text-align: center">CONTACT US</span></a></div><div style="position:absolute; left:500px; top: 21px; text-align:left;">© 2025 Orion's Arm Universe Project Inc.</div></div>></div></div><div style="visibility:none; position:absolute; left: -3000px;"><img src="/images/oa/eg_inner/nav_cs_bg_f2.gif"/><img src="/images/oa/eg_inner/nav_gal_bg_f2.gif"/><img src="/images/oa/eg_inner/nav_hist_bg_f2.gif"/><img src="/images/oa/eg_inner/nav_home_bg_f2.gif"/><img src="/images/oa/eg_inner/nav_sci_bg_f2.gif"/><img src="/images/oa/eg_inner/nav_soph_bg_f2.gif"/><img src="/images/oa/eg_inner/nav_tech_bg_f2.gif"/></div> <script src="https://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> _uacct = "UA-1791392-3"; urchinTracker(); </script> <script src="/scripts/tex_math.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script>replaceMath(document.body);</script> </body> </html>