Equation 12 · Part 1 · How We Know What Is Inside a Planet
Symbol k_2
What this part means
the small.
Its job in the formula
is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.
Full expression→Symbol k_2→Article meaning
Where the article explains it
A rigid body has a small ; a body with a global liquid layer decoupling shell from interior has a large one.
The passage around this formula
If a body is deformable, an external tidal potential distorts it, and the distortion changes its external gravity field in a way an orbiter can measure. The degree-two potential Love number quantifies that response. A rigid body has a small ; a body with a global liquid layer decoupling shell from interior has a large one.
Learn the underlying idea
A subscript is a label attached below a symbol. It often selects a time step, component, category, or member of a sequence.
Open the illustrated subscripts: which member of a family? guide →
See this notation across published equations →
Sources cited in the article section
- [14] The tides of Titan ↗
- [13] Galileo magnetometer measurements: a stronger case for a subsurface ocean at Europa ↗
These citations provide research context; check each source for the exact claim it supports.