Investigating the Collisional and Dynamical Evolution of Comets

研究彗星的碰撞和动力学演化

• 批准号: 1010012
• 负责人: Douglas Smith
• 金额: $ 51.85万
• 依托单位: University Enterprises Corporation at CSUSB
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-09-01 至 2020-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1010012&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Investigating; Collisional; Dynamical; Evolution; Comets

The PI will conduct a series of laboratory experiments to study how the surfaces of comets are affected by impacts. Using facilities at the Experimental Impact Laboratory at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC), she will prepare targets consisting of refractory minerals that are either known to be present in comets or are suitable analogs for cometary material; the targets may be solid crystals, crushed, or combined with volatiles in low density dust-ice mixtures. The targets will then be impacted at velocities of a few km/s, characteristic of impacts in regions from the Main Asteroid Belt to the Kuiper Belt. The resulting impacted material will be analyzed by a variety of microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, in order to determine (1) whether shock features matching those observed in Comet Wild 2 dust samples (obtained by the Stardust spacecraft) are formed, and (2) whether impacted materials can account for the observed mid-infrared spectra of comets and Trojan asteroids. The goal is to obtain constraints on collision-driven evolution that will elucidate the dynamical histories of comets and asteroids. Students from the PI's university, a Hispanic Serving Institution, will participate in academic-year projects and summer internships at JSC conducting this research, and curricula will be developed for students in the Liberal Studies program that trains K-8 teachers

PI将进行一系列实验室实验，研究彗星表面如何受到撞击的影响。利用NASA约翰逊航天中心（JSC）实验撞击实验室的设施，她将准备由已知存在于彗星中的耐火矿物或彗星物质的合适类似物组成的目标;目标可能是固体晶体，粉碎，或与低密度尘冰混合物中的挥发物结合。然后，这些目标将以每秒几公里的速度受到撞击，这是从主小行星带到柯伊伯带地区撞击的特征。将通过各种显微镜和光谱技术分析由此产生的撞击物质，以确定（1）是否形成了与Wild 2彗星尘埃样本（由Stardust航天器获得）中观察到的冲击特征相匹配的冲击特征，以及（2）撞击物质是否可以解释彗星和特洛伊小行星的中红外光谱。目标是获得碰撞驱动的演变，将阐明彗星和小行星的动力学历史的约束。来自PI大学的学生，一个西班牙裔服务机构，将参加JSC进行这项研究的学年项目和暑期实习，课程将为培养K-8教师的通识教育项目的学生开发