Planetary Structure & Dynamic in Science Fiction. Scientific Analysis & Review of Interstellar [UCM Bachelor Thesis, 2015]

Abstract

Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster, Interstellar, has supposed a revolution not only from a cinematographically viewpoint, but also in the relation between current spectators and science. The aim of this report is to analyze some features presented in Interstellar. Basic Newtonian Physics shows how a planet orbiting a supermassive black hole like Gargantua must travel at 0.25 the speed of light in order to be in a stable orbit. Thus, this orbit is too far from the black hole to explain the time dilatation observed in Miller's Planet and an the orbit that could explain such a time dilatation is much more smaller that Roche's limit. Furthermore, I explain how enormous waves as Miller's Planet ones could appear by studying the tidal potential created by Gargantua, obtaining a wave of 200 kilometers high, but better results are obtained by considering a series of tsunamis in Miller's Planet. Finally, I present an explanation to Mann's Planet ice-covered landscape in which Snowball Earth Theory plays a fundamental role. No difficult General Relativity formulas will be used in order to make easier the comprehension of the research. Supervisors: M. L. Osete & J. Gorgas