CAREER: Orbital Dynamics of Solar System Dust

职业：太阳系尘埃的轨道动力学

• 批准号: 9733789
• 负责人: Douglas Hamilton
• 金额: $ 20.5万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland, College Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1998
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1998-05-01 至 2004-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9733789&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Orbital; Dynamics; Solar; System

9733789 Hamilton The research goals are focused on understanding the origin and evolution of micron to millimeter sized dust in the solar system. The current distribution of dusty material around planets and in interplanetary space is a result of the delicate balance of many dynamical processes. Micron and millimeter sized dust grains are created, their orbits evolve, and they are destroyed on very short timescales. Insight into these fundamental processes can be gained by analyzing, interpreting, and modeling the detailed impact data from the dust detectors aboard the Ulysses, Galileo, and Cassini spacecraft. In particular, the objectives of this research are to use these unique data sets to: 1) discover the source of the intriguing dust streams near Jupiter; 2) modernize and strengthen dynamical arguments which suggest that dark dust from Saturn's distant satellite Phoebe coats Iapetus' leading hemisphere; and 3) characterize the distribution and dynamics of dust in distant circumplanetary orbits. A multipronged approach, which includes data analysis, analytical calculations, and numerical simulations, will be applied to these and other related problems in dust dynamics. This study will lead to an improved understanding of many fundamental features of the solar system, and will highlight the important processes active in shaping our solar system today. Moreover, since most of the processes currently acting on dust were also important in the early solar system, the results of this investigation will help clarify aspects of planetary formation. The educational component of this proposal describes innovative ways to bring the exploration of orbital dynamics into the undergraduate classroom. The orbital motions of the planets, their moons, artificial satellites, and planetary spacecraft are topics that continue to fascinate students of all ages. Students are also intrigued by the use of computers and the information on the Internet and the World Wide Web. The intrinsic appeal of t hese topics will be used to interest students by designing and implementing easy-to use interactive computer programs to teach the fundamentals of orbital motion. Drawing upon previous experience in setting up and using several of these interactive programs in a classroom environment, and upon the proven principles and methods of' active learning, innovative class exercises for undergraduate students at all levels will be designed. Exercises for upper level undergraduate Astronomy majors will be designed to expose students to the methods of scientific inquiry and to aspects of ongoing research. The exercises will also provide ways for students to test and to better appreciate important analytic derivations, and will allow them to explore their own interests in orbital dynamics independently. Exercises intended for large introductory Astronomy classes will emphasize the spirit of scientific inquiry and will be designed to address concepts that students traditionally have difficulty grasping. The programs will be available on the World Wide Web, which offers unbeatable access for students. In addition, the programs will be computer platform independent, which will allow students to focus on astronomical issues rather than on computer languages and/or operating systems. These highly desirable properties will allow the PI to design effective teaching tools for use in undergraduate classrooms. ***

9733789汉密尔顿 研究目标集中在了解太阳系中微米至毫米级尘埃的起源和演变。 目前行星周围和行星际空间尘埃物质的分布是许多动力过程微妙平衡的结果。 微米和毫米大小的尘埃颗粒被创造出来，它们的轨道演变，它们在很短的时间内被摧毁。 对这些基本过程的深入了解可以通过分析，解释和建模详细的撞击数据来获得，这些数据来自于伽利略号和卡西尼号航天器上的尘埃探测器。 特别是，这项研究的目标是使用这些独特的数据集：1）发现木星附近有趣的尘埃流的来源; 2）现代化和加强动力学参数，这表明来自土星遥远的卫星菲比的黑暗尘埃覆盖着Iapetus的领先半球;和3）表征遥远的环行星轨道中尘埃的分布和动力学。 将采用多管齐下的方法，包括数据分析、分析计算和数值模拟，来解决尘埃动力学中的这些问题和其他相关问题。 这项研究将有助于人们更好地了解太阳系的许多基本特征，并将突出当今塑造太阳系的重要过程。 此外，由于目前作用于尘埃的大多数过程在早期太阳系中也很重要，因此这项研究的结果将有助于澄清行星形成的各个方面。 该提案的教育部分介绍了将轨道动力学探索带入本科课堂的创新方法。 行星的轨道运动，它们的卫星，人造卫星和行星航天器是继续吸引所有年龄段的学生的主题。 学生们也对计算机的使用以及互联网和万维网上的信息感兴趣。 这些主题的内在吸引力将通过设计和实施易于使用的交互式计算机程序来教授轨道运动的基本原理，从而引起学生的兴趣。 借鉴以往在课堂环境中建立和使用这些互动程序的经验，并根据行之有效的原则和方法，“主动学习，创新的课堂练习，为本科生在所有级别的设计。 高级本科天文学专业的练习将旨在让学生接触科学探究的方法和正在进行的研究的各个方面。 这些练习还将为学生提供测试和更好地理解重要的分析推导的方法，并将使他们能够独立地探索自己对轨道动力学的兴趣。 用于大型天文学入门课程的练习将强调科学探究的精神，并旨在解决学生传统上难以掌握的概念。 这些课程将在万维网上提供，为学生提供无与伦比的访问。 此外，这些课程将独立于计算机平台，这将使学生能够专注于天文学问题，而不是计算机语言和/或操作系统。 这些非常理想的属性将允许PI设计有效的教学工具，用于本科课堂。 ***