Author:
Wolynski, Jeffrey
Sub-Category:
Astrophysics
Date Published:
March 16, 2026
Abstract:
One of the most important factors controlling planetary chemistry is the abundance of hydrogen. Hydrogen strongly influences whether a planetary environment behaves as chemically reducing or oxidizing, and changes in hydrogen abundance over time can significantly alter the chemical state of a planetary body. Because hydrogen is both highly reactive and easily lost to space, gradual hydrogen depletion may play an important role in the long-term evolution of astronomical objects. Within the framework of the General Theory of Stellar Metamorphosis, hydrogen loss is interpreted as part of a broader evolutionary process in which hot stellar objects gradually cool and transform into colder bodies. In this view, stars begin as extremely hot, hydrogen-rich objects and, over very long timescales, cool and evolve into their colder counterparts—objects that we classify as planets. From this perspective, hydrogen abundance is highest in the youngest stellar bodies and decreases as these bodies evolve thermally and chemically.
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