Poul Anderson, "A Little Knowledge" IN Anderson, David Falkayn: Star Trader (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 599-630.
A
subjovian planet should retain a large quantity of hydrogen and helium.
However, the extra-solar subjovian, Paradox, captured an asteroid which
became a moon with an eccentric orbit. Passing through the Paradoxical
atmosphere, the moon blew large numbers of lighter molecules into space
before breaking up and crashing onto the surface. Metallic atoms spread across the
planet might have combined with any remaining hydrogen. The atmosphere
became early terrestroid: carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, ammonia
etc, except for more helium than usual. Life and photosynthesis began,
generating an oxynitrogen atmosphere. Despite fifteen Terrestrial
masses, Paradox is solid with a humanly breathable atmosphere.
Another large planet that loses its hydrogen and helium, gaining an inhabited solid surface, is Ramnu. (Scroll down.)
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