CAREER: Building rocky planets: From Mercury and Vesta to GL 581c

受到太阳系岩石行星之间一阶无法解释的差异以及目前正在发现的一系列迷人的系外行星的启发，琳达埃尔金斯-坦顿博士（马萨诸塞州理工学院）将创建行星形成的正演模型，以便将观测与形成过程和条件联系起来。我们太阳系中的类地行星在其核心部分、水含量、最早的地壳成分和地幔的同位素特征方面存在差异，所有这些都对整体成分和形成过程形成重要制约。许多差异仍有待理解，例如，水星的核心大尺寸，水星表面高温的影响，以及像灶神星这样较小天体的形成过程。系外行星的发现带来了一系列新的行星模型。 现在已知的250颗系外行星中，大多数都表现出与我们太阳系不同的特征和存在条件;几乎没有什么背景可以理解这些行星。 研究部分的主要目标是（a）提供一个成分背景，以了解新发现的系外行星的质量，半径和大气成分，（B）使用建模结果与水星，灶神星的观测结果进行比较，以及较小的系外行星的可用列表，以更好地了解创建其当前测量特征的过程。Elkins-Tanton博士将为中学的科学课程带来对行星演化的新理解，并将把感兴趣的本科理科专业，包括参与研究的本科理科专业，与在职中学教师联系起来。许多初中和中学的地球和空间科学教师主要接受生物学，化学或物理学的培训，尽管地球和空间科学是马萨诸塞州K-12的必修科目。促进这些目标的任务是：（a）在暑期专业发展课程中以相关形式向在职初中和高中科学教师传授最前沿的研究知识;（B）将科学教学作为一项职业介绍给理科专业的本科生，重点是那些来自没有教育系的大学的学生，让本科生参加讲习班，以及（c）支持教师发展以探究为基础的地球和空间科学单元。 将跟踪和支持下一学年使用这些材料的情况，并将建立一个网站，便利向更广泛的受众进行交流和分发。 此外，该项目将建立学科之间的关键关系（实验和理论行星地质学和岩石学，以及观测和理论天体物理学）。此外，两至三名研究生和两至三名本科生将获得研究方面的支助和培训。

Motivated by first-order unexplained differences among rocky planets in our solar system and by the fascinating range of exoplanets now being discovered, Dr. Linda Elkins-Tanton (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) will create forward models of planetary formation to allow observations to be linked to formation processes and conditions. The terrestrial planets in our solar system differ in their core fractions, water content, earliest crustal compositions, and in the isotopic characteristics of their mantles, all of which form important constraints on bulk composition and formation process. Many differences remain to be understood, for example, the large size of Mercury's core, the effects of high temperature on Mercury's surface, and the formation processes of smaller bodies like Vesta. The discovery of exoplanets has introduced a wide new range of planet models. Most of the 250 exoplanets now known exhibit characteristics and exist under conditions different from those in our solar system; little context exists in which to understand these planets. The main goals of the research component are to (a) provide a compositional context for understanding the masses, radii, and atmospheric compositions of newly-discovered exoplanets and (b) use modeling results compared to observations of Mercury, Vesta, and the available list of smaller exoplanets to better understand the processes that created their current measured characteristics.In collaboration with the Northeastern University School of Education, Dr. Elkins-Tanton will bring new understanding of planetary evolution to science curricula in secondary school, and will link interested undergraduate science majors, including those participating in the research, with in-service secondary-school teachers. Many middle- and secondary-school Earth and space science teachers are primarily trained in biology, chemistry, or physics, though Earth and space sciences are required K-12 topics in Massachusetts. The tasks that promote these goals are to (a) bring cutting-edge research knowledge to in-service middle- and high-school science teachers in relevant formats within summer professional development courses, (b) introduce science teaching as a career to undergraduate science majors, focusing on those from universities without education departments, by incorporating undergraduates into the workshops, and (c) support teachers as they develop inquiry-based Earth- and space-science units. Use of the material in the subsequent school year will be tracked and supported and a web site will facilitate communication and distribution to a wider audience. In addition, this project will forge critical relationships between disciplines (experimental and theoretical planetary geology and petrology, and observational and theoretical astrophysics). In addition, two to three graduate students and two to three undergraduates will be supported and trained in research.