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Was the gas cloud that collapsed to form the solar system cooled by liquid helium at some point in time? I ask because the Cosmic microwave background had a temperature around 3K when the solar system formed and helium is a liquid at around this temperature and if the pressure is 1 atmosphere and it absorbs heat well

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  • $\begingroup$ Nothing is liquid out there in space. The temperature of the radiation of the cosmic microwave background is not the temperature of the gas or dust in the disc. $\endgroup$
    – AtmosphericPrisonEscape
    Commented May 25, 2023 at 17:06
  • $\begingroup$ 4.6 billion years ago corresponds to a redshift of about 0.45, so the CMB would have been $T_0(1+z) \simeq 4$ K. $\endgroup$
    – ProfRob
    Commented May 25, 2023 at 17:25

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No, because the pressure was never close to 1 atmosphere and the nebula that condensed into the solar system was hotter than 3 K.

The surface density of the protoplanetary disk was maximally about 4.3 kg per square centimeter... but the thickness was about 0.2 AU, giving a gas density of $10^{-7}$ kg per cubic meter. Not much pressure.

The temperature of the outer disk is believed to have been 50-150 K, too warm for liquid helium.

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  • $\begingroup$ The temperature and pressure in an undisturbed nebula may have been unsuitable but suppose a supernova caused a low temperature cavity into which compressed gas was ejected.Then the conditions may have been suitable There are exoplanets that have been found surrounded by helium "Helium Detected in Atmosphere of Exoplanet for First Time | Astronomy | Sci-News.com" sci.news/astronomy/wasp-107b-helium-05969.html. The helium extends 16000 km and more above the planet $\endgroup$
    – user50918
    Commented May 25, 2023 at 19:04
  • $\begingroup$ @DaveTheWave - Supernovas produce high temperature cavities. $\endgroup$
    – Anders Sandberg
    Commented May 25, 2023 at 21:00
  • $\begingroup$ Rapidly expanding gases cause cooling by other mechanisms. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boomerang_Nebula Is 1K temperature. Here is why. "We Finally Know why the Boomerang Nebula is Colder than Space Itself - Universe Today" universetoday.com/135920/ $\endgroup$
    – user50918
    Commented May 26, 2023 at 8:50
  • $\begingroup$ universetoday.com/135920/…. Link for previous comment $\endgroup$
    – user50918
    Commented May 26, 2023 at 8:56

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