The Smallest Interstellar Grains: Optical/Near-IR Emission from Nanoparticles

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AST 0307638HarringtonThis project will develop a linked series of 3D hydrodynamic and chemical models for the impact, plume blowout, and plume flight/splash phases of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) events. These models will advect tracer particles, whose temperature (T) and pressure (p) histories will drive chemical and grain models. Chemical and grain results will be re-inserted into the splash model to calculate realistic light curves and impact-site images. Several investigations will be carried out with the models, which will run on a small cluster supercomputer. The model is required for full interpretation of the puzzling SL9 data, and will yield basic information about Jupiter's atmosphere and comet composition. The models will test theories for the expanding rings seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. This work has a very broad impact. It is the first observationally-constrained 3D radiative-hydrodynamic chemical model of all phases of a cometary impact. The models and model grids will be archived with the Planetary Data System so that they will be quickly available for use in planning observations of the next impact, be it 10 or 500 years from now. The models will makepredictions for the Cassini mission. Public interest in impacts is high, so results will appear in both the scientific literature and in popular science magazines.***