Innovations in Giant Planet Evolution Theoretical Models and Undergraduate Science Literacy

巨行星演化理论模型创新与本科生科学素养

• 批准号: 9624878
• 负责人: Mark Marley
• 金额: $ 31.17万
• 依托单位: New Mexico State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1996
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1996-08-15 至 2002-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9624878&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Innovations; Giant; Planet; Evolution; Theoretical

9624878 Marley New interior, atmosphere, and evolution models of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will be constructed. This will be done in order to address several important, unanswered questions about these planets. Atmospheric models and emergent spectra for extrasolar giant planets will also be computed. An innovative, Monte Carlo based interior modeling technique will be employed to evaluate the range of Uranus and Neptune models of their interiors that have not been identified by conventional approaches. These models will then be used to constrain theoretical models of the evolution of these planets. These models account for the role of double diffusive convection on internal energy transport and planetary evolution. In collaboration with Allen Grossman of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, models of Saturn's evolution, which include helium immiscibility and rainout will be constructed. The modeling of the evolution of all three planets requires new atmospheric models which will serve as boundary conditions. Thus, new atmospheric models for the current and past atmospheres of these planets will be constructed, relying upon the most recent molecular absorption line databases. These new calculations will replace twenty year old, but widely used, atmospheric models. The new evolutionary model calculations, resulting from this work, will make it possible to address fundamental gaps in our understanding of these planets. Specifically, why is the luminosity of Saturn so much greater than expected? The separation of hydrogen from helium in its interior is the preferred explanation, but this hypothesis has not yet been rigorously modeled. Secondly, why are the heat flows of Uranus and Neptune so much smaller than expected? The new models will enable one to constrain the role of composition gradients in their interiors. Such composition gradients have been offered as an explanation for their low heatflows. The results of the modeling will also provide a database of thermal emissi on spectra of evolving giant planets. Such spectra can be compared with observations of the spectra of extrasolar giant planets, when they are found, to constrain their age, atmospheric structure, and composition. Scientific literacy will be improved among New Mexico State University undergraduates. The Principal Investigator will design, develop, and deliver a new upper division undergraduate course that stresses important scientific themes, rather than a single discipline (such as Astronomy). This course will stress student communication and interaction skills and is expected to provide students with a broader perspective of the scientific enterprise and its relation to current scientific and technological concerns. The Principal Investigator will also experiment, in this and other undergraduate courses, with innovative lecture approaches. Traditional lectures, even when liberally supplemented by demonstrations, are certainly not the best way to deliver an introduction to science for non-majors. Alternative lecture-delivery techniques will be tested and evaluated. Undergraduate students will participate in the research. New Mexico State University's (NMSU's) enrollment is 37% minority, yet less than 10% of the students enrolled in the physical sciences are minority students. Research opportunities, mentoring, and contact with graduate students will be provided for the undergraduate students. These activities will make it possible to provide a supportive environment to encourage minority students to pursue degrees in the physical sciences at NMSU. The Astronomy Department NMSU is an emerging, vital department. Within the past few years, the department has added three tenure track faculty, the new Apache Point 3.5-meter telescope has been completed, there is growth in the Astronomy Department's solid graduate applicant pool, and there is a continuing dedication to undergraduate education.

小行星9624878 将构建土星、天王星和海王星的新内部、大气和演化模型。 这样做是为了解决关于这些行星的几个重要的、悬而未决的问题。 大气模型和太阳系外巨行星的出射光谱也将被计算。一个创新的，基于蒙特卡罗的内部建模技术将被用来评估天王星和海王星模型的内部，还没有被确定的传统方法的范围。 然后，这些模型将用于约束这些行星演化的理论模型。 这些模型解释了双扩散对流对内部能量传输和行星演化的作用。与劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室的艾伦格罗斯曼合作，将建立土星演化的模型，其中包括氦的不可吸收性和雨灭。 所有三颗行星的演化模型需要新的大气模型作为边界条件。 因此，这些行星的当前和过去的大气的新的大气模型将被构建，依赖于最新的分子吸收线数据库。 这些新的计算方法将取代20年前的、但被广泛使用的大气模型。 新的进化模型计算，从这项工作中产生，将有可能解决我们对这些行星的理解的根本差距。 具体来说，为什么土星的光度比预期的要大得多？ 氢与氦在其内部分离是首选的解释，但这一假设尚未被严格建模。 其次，为什么天王星和海王星的热流比预期的要小得多？ 新的模型将使人们能够限制其内部组成梯度的作用。 这样的成分梯度已经被提供作为其低热流的解释。 模拟结果还将提供一个演化中的巨行星的热发射光谱数据库。 这些光谱可以与太阳系外巨行星的光谱观测进行比较，当它们被发现时，可以限制它们的年龄，大气结构和成分。 新墨西哥州州立大学本科生的科学素养将得到提高。 首席研究员将设计，开发和提供一个新的上师本科课程，强调重要的科学主题，而不是一个单一的学科（如天文学）。本课程将强调学生的沟通和互动技巧，并预计为学生提供科学企业及其与当前科学和技术问题的关系更广泛的视角。首席研究员还将在本课程和其他本科课程中尝试创新的讲座方法。 传统的讲座，即使有大量的演示作为补充，也肯定不是为非专业学生提供科学入门的最佳方式。 将测试和评估其他授课技术。本科生将参与研究。 新墨西哥州州立大学（NMSU）的少数民族入学率为37%，但在物理科学专业入学的学生中，少数民族学生不到10%。研究机会，指导，并与研究生接触将提供给本科生。这些活动将提供一个支持性环境，鼓励少数民族学生在NMSU攻读物理科学学位。 天文学系NMSU是一个新兴的，重要的部门。在过去的几年里，该部门增加了三个终身教职的教师，新的阿帕奇点3.5米望远镜已经完成，有在天文学系的坚实的研究生申请人池的增长，并有一个持续致力于本科教育。