Collaborative Research: GLOW: Basal magma ocean dynamos of early Earth, Venus, and the Moon

地球及其近邻金星和月球的古老磁场的起源尚不清楚。该计划的目标是了解岩浆海洋产生的发电机是否能够维持地球早期的磁场。该项目还将确定发电机可能在金星上存在了多长时间，以及这种发电机是否对月球早期历史上的高强度磁场负责。对模型的所有修改都将对科学界开放源代码。这项工作将在公共广播节目EarthDate上播出。本科生将加入这个团队，运行发电机模拟数值模型，发展数据分析和计算工具方面的技能，以促进专业发展。地核形成之前，类地行星和卫星中古代磁场的起源是一个长期存在的问题。基岩浆海洋发电机一直被假设为解释地球如何能够在内核增长开始之前保持磁场的机制。该计划将研究早期地球、月球和金星最低液态地幔与铁合金核之间的动力和磁耦合程度和机制。该项目将确定底部岩浆海洋或岩心中的稳定层化如何调节磁场的产生和衰减，以及这些储集层之间的混合。该团队将在底部岩浆海洋和内核中模拟具有不同传输特性的发电机，如导电性、热扩散率和运动粘度。这些计算将决定基础岩浆海洋发电机是否能够产生与观测约束一致的磁场。更好地描述类地行星和卫星中的磁场产生将促进对系外行星中基础岩浆海洋发电机的理解。该奖项反映了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。

The origin of the ancient magnetic fields of Earth and its nearest neighbors, Venus and the Moon, is not well understood. The program will aim to understand if a dynamo generated by a magma ocean could have sustained Earth’s early magnetic field. The project will also determine for how long a dynamo may have existed on Venus and if such a dynamo was responsible for the high intensity magnetic field in the early history of the Moon. All modifications to the models will be open source for the science community. The work will be aired on the public service radio program EarthDate. Undergraduate students will join the team to run dynamo simulation numerical models, develop skills in data analytics and computational tools that will enhance professional development.The origin of ancient magnetic fields in terrestrial planets and moons prior to formation of the inner core is a long-standing question. Basal magma ocean dynamos have been hypothesized as mechanisms to explain how the Earth was able to maintain a magnetic field before the onset of inner core growth. This program will investigate the degree and mechanisms of dynamic and magnetic coupling between the lowermost liquid mantle and the iron-alloy core in the early Earth, the Moon and Venus. The project will determine how stable stratification in the basal magma ocean or core modulates magnetic field generation and attenuation, as well as mixing between these reservoirs. The team will simulate dynamos with different transport properties, such as electrical conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and kinematic viscosity, in the basal magma ocean and the core. These calculations will determine whether basal magma ocean dynamos can generate magnetic fields that are consistent with observational constraints. A better characterization of magnetic field generation in terrestrial planets and moons will advance the understanding of basal magma ocean dynamos in exoplanets.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.