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Planetary Science at the University of Kent

肯特大学行星科学

基本信息

批准号：
ST/N000854/1
负责人：
Mark Burchell
金额：
$ 107.2万
依托单位：
University of Kent
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2016
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2016 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FN000854%2F1
关键词：
Planetary Science University Kent

项目摘要

The Kent group focusses on studies of comets, asteroids, cosmic dust and impact events so we can better understand the origin, evolution and distribution of material throughout the Solar System. We are particularly interested in:-complex organic materials - how they evolved and how they ended up where they are today;- the content and physical properties of comets and asteroids (what they are, how they behave and how they evolved);-how sun light influences the physical properties and dynamics of small bodies such as asteroids;-impact events at all sizes (from small dust impacts to larger impacts which can damage or even break apart bodies made of rock or ice);-finding new ways to collect cosmic dust arriving at the Earth's surface. We will address these areas by: performing experiments in our impact laboratory, studying impact processes through computer models, using data from space missions, telescope observations and modelling, studying materials from space missions and studying samples collected by dust capture instruments we are deploying in remote parts of the world such as the mid-Pacific and the Antarctic.Our experimental work involves creating our own very high speed impacts in the laboratory. We then examine and analyse the impacted materials to see if they have been altered. We aim to determine whether/how the organic and mineral materials that we fire transfer to targets they impact. We also aim to see if the organic materials can be changed during impact events into more complex molecules that are the precursors to life. This will involve studying both the targets and the plumes that rise above the impact point.The targets may also fall apart during impact. We generally know how this works for solid targets. But there are bodies in the Solar System which have ice covered surfaces, over a liquid water sub-surface ocean. We will make such objects in our laboratory and impact them in our gun to see how they break up. To study comets, we will examine dust grains collected in space by NASA from comet 81P/Wild 2. Grain by grain we will work out what the comet is made of and where these materials came from before they formed the comet. We will search here on Earth for cosmic dust from space. It is present in the dust around us, but as it falls from space through the atmosphere, it mixes with our own dust from Earth and mankind's industrial activities, making it hard to identify. By sucking air through filters, and doing this in remote places (mid-Pacific or the Antarctic) with clean atmospheres with little local dust, we will concentrate the amount of cosmic dust we can find. We will then study these samples to learn more about the Solar System bodies that they came from.We will also look at asteroids in space. The YORP effect is a torque experienced by small asteroids, and is caused mainly by thermal photons being emitted from their surfaces after being heated by the Sun. When this happens the asteroid experiences a tiny recoil effect, which can be significant if summed up over the entire surface with countless photons striking it at any given moment. YORP can modify how fast asteroids spin and the orientation of their spin-axis and can take millions of years. This effect is of fundamental importance to Solar System astronomers as it can explain many observed phenomena in asteroidal science. However, despite its importance, there have been only a few cases where the YORP effect has been seen in action, due to the difficulties in measuring the effect. With new telescope data we have obtained we will make significant impact in this field. Our core aim is to achieve additional YORP detections on our sample of small asteroids to further understand this important process. The study will also provide theoreticians with actual measurements to calibrate their calculations

肯特小组专注于彗星、小行星、宇宙尘埃和撞击事件的研究，以便我们能够更好地了解整个太阳系物质的起源、演化和分布。我们特别感兴趣的是： - 复杂的有机材料 - 它们是如何演化的以及它们如何最终形成今天的样子； - 彗星和小行星的内容和物理特性（它们是什么，它们的行为方式以及它们如何演化）； - 太阳光如何影响小行星等小天体的物理特性和动力学； - 各种规模的撞击事件（从小型尘埃撞击到可能损坏甚至分解由岩石或行星构成的物体的较大撞击）冰）；-寻找收集到达地球表面的宇宙尘埃的新方法。我们将通过以下方式解决这些领域的问题：在我们的撞击实验室中进行实验，通过计算机模型研究撞击过程，使用来自太空任务的数据、望远镜观测和建模，研究来自太空任务的材料以及研究我们在世界偏远地区（例如中太平洋和南极洲）部署的灰尘捕获仪器收集的样本。我们的实验工作包括在实验室中创造我们自己的超高速撞击。然后，我们检查并分析受影响的材料，看看它们是否已被更改。我们的目标是确定我们燃烧的有机和矿物材料是否/如何转移到它们影响的目标。我们还旨在了解有机材料是否可以在撞击事件中转变为更复杂的分子，这些分子是生命的前身。这将涉及研究目标和升到撞击点上方的羽流。目标也可能在撞击过程中破裂。我们通常知道这对于实体目标是如何工作的。但太阳系中有些天体的表面被冰覆盖，位于液态水海洋之下。我们将在实验室中制造此类物体，并用我们的枪撞击它们，看看它们如何破碎。为了研究彗星，我们将检查 NASA 在太空中从 81P/Wild 2 号彗星收集的尘埃颗粒。我们将逐粒找出彗星的成分以及这些物质在形成彗星之前来自何处。我们将在地球上寻找来自太空的宇宙尘埃。它存在于我们周围的灰尘中，但当它从太空穿过大气层时，它与我们自己来自地球和人类工业活动的灰尘混合在一起，使其难以识别。通过过滤器吸入空气，并在大气清洁、当地灰尘很少的偏远地区（太平洋中部或南极洲）进行此操作，我们将集中我们能找到的宇宙尘埃量。然后我们将研究这些样本，以更多地了解它们来自的太阳系天体。我们还将观察太空中的小行星。 YORP 效应是小型小行星所经历的扭矩，主要是由太阳加热后从其表面发射的热光子引起的。当这种情况发生时，小行星会经历微小的反冲效应，如果在任何给定时刻都有无数光子撞击它的整个表面，那么这种效应可能会很严重。 YORP 可以改变小行星的自转速度及其自转轴的方向，这可能需要数百万年的时间。这种效应对太阳系天文学家至关重要，因为它可以解释小行星科学中观察到的许多现象。然而，尽管 YORP 效应很重要，但由于测量该效应的困难，只在少数情况下看到了 YORP 效应。利用我们获得的新望远镜数据，我们将在这一领域产生重大影响。我们的核心目标是对我们的小小行星样本进行额外的 YORP 检测，以进一步了解这一重要过程。该研究还将为理论家提供实际测量结果来校准他们的计算