First-Principles Simulations of Mixtures in Giant Planets

巨行星混合物的第一性原理模拟

• 批准号: 1008045
• 负责人: Burkhard Militzer
• 金额: $ 32.47万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-01 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1008045&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: First; Principles; Simulations; Mixtures; Giant

This project is a theoretical study of molecular and atomic interactions at the high pressures characteristic of the interiors of giant planets. Two different first-principles computational approaches---density functional molecular dynamics and path integral Monte Carlo---will be used, to (1) simulate interfaces between ice and metallic hydrogen to understand their stability, particularly as related to giant planet formation and core growth; (2) simulate hydrogen-helium mixtures to understand helium rain and its effect of the cooling and radiated luminosity of Saturn; (3) predict the degree to which neon is depleted in Saturn's atmosphere through the process of neon sequestration by helium rain; (4) calculate equations of state for giant planet interiors, with an eye toward explaining the surprisingly large sizes of "hot Jupiters" and refining the temperature profile of Jupiter itself; and (5) calculate the electrical conductivity of H-He mixtures to better understand magnetic field generation and ohmic dissipation of tidal perturbations in giant planets. A graduate student will be supported and trained in this project, which will also produce high-accuracy tables of equations of state for exoplanet modeling. These equations of state will be made available to the research community. The PI and collaborators will also produce an interactive website called "Planet Builder" where students and the public can see how interior composition and physical conditions influence the overall characteristics of planets, in comparison with those in the Solar System.

该项目是对巨行星内部高压下分子和原子相互作用的理论研究。将使用两种不同的第一性原理计算方法——密度泛函分子动力学和蒙特卡罗路径积分——来（1）模拟冰和金属氢之间的界面，以了解它们的稳定性，特别是与巨行星形成和核心生长相关的稳定性； （2）模拟氢氦混合物，了解氦雨及其对土星冷却和辐射光度的影响； （3）通过氦雨封存氖的过程，预测土星大气中氖的消耗程度； （4）计算巨型行星内部的状态方程，着眼于解释“热木星”惊人的大尺寸并完善木星本身的温度分布； (5) 计算 H-He 混合物的电导率，以更好地了解巨行星中磁场的产生和潮汐扰动的欧姆耗散。该项目将支持和培训一名研究生，该项目还将生成用于系外行星建模的高精度状态方程表。这些状态方程将提供给研究界。 PI 和合作者还将制作一个名为“Planet Builder”的互动网站，学生和公众可以通过该网站了解内部构造和物理条件如何影响行星的整体特征（与太阳系中的行星进行比较）。