Toward a Realistic Model of the Formation of Terrestrial Planets and Water Delivery

行星科学研究所的一个团队将通过回答地球是如何形成的以及地球上如何出现大量水来研究地球及其海洋的起源。这个项目有可能解释月球是如何形成的，过去地球被小行星击中了多少次，以及它是否会再次被击中。地球和太阳系的其他小行星，特别是火星和金星的起源尚不清楚。揭示这些行星是如何形成的，将有助于揭示其他行星上是否存在生命，以及它们是否拥有永久人类存在所需的资源。该团队已经制定了一项详细的计划，让本科生和高中生参与暑期项目，接触少数民族和代表性不足的社区。尽管已经做出了许多努力来确定地球是如何形成的，但还没有现实的模型存在。研究人员的工作将通过提供最准确的内太阳系形成途径来促进我们对地球形成和水的起源的了解。研究人员开发了一种新的方法，他们使用计算机模拟来准确地创建大型天体(如小行星和卫星)之间的碰撞，并跟踪这个过程，直到形成一个完整的行星。该团队开发了一种机制来演示在大型碰撞中水是如何从一个物体转移到另一个物体的，以及它是如何到达地球形成的太空区域的。该团队已经创建了一种独特的计算机代码，可以同时执行所有这些过程。他们计划进行数百次计算机模拟并研究结果，以确定最可行的地球和水形成机制。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

A team from the Planetary Science Institute will study the origin of planet Earth and its oceans by answering how Earth formed and how a large amount of water appeared on it. This project has the potential to explain how the moon formed, how many times in the past Earth was hit by asteroids, and whether it will be hit again. The origin of Earth and other small planets of our solar system, especially Mars and Venus is unknown. Revealing how these planets form will shed light on whether life existed on other planets, and whether they have the resources needed for permanent human presence. The team have developed a detailed plan on involving undergraduate and high school students in summer projects, reaching out to minorities and under-represented communities.Although many efforts have been made to determine how Earth formed, no realistic modeling yet exists. The work of the investigators will advance our knowledge of the formation of Earth and the origin of its water by presenting the most accurate pathway to the formation of the inner solar system. The investigators have developed a novel approach in which they use computer simulations to accurately create collisions between large bodies (as large as asteroids and moons) and follow the process until a complete planet has formed. The team have developed a mechanism to demonstrate how water is transferred from one object to the other during large collisions, and how it reaches the region of space where Earth forms. The team have created a unique computer code that can carry out all these processes simultaneously. They plan to perform several hundred computer simulations and study the results to identify the most viable mechanism for the formation of Earth and its water.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.