Studies on Planetary Formation and Evolution at Bristol

布里斯托尔的行星形成和演化研究

• 批准号: ST/R000980/1
• 负责人: Timothy Elliott
• 金额: $ 105.9万
• 依托单位: University of Bristol
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2018 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FR000980%2F1
• 关键词: Studies; Planetary; Formation; Evolution; Bristol

The proposed work follows the development of planetary bodies from formation of their raw materials to the functioning of their atmospheres. Our attention starts with the earliest solar system, when the only fine grained material was present around the sun. We will both look at the distribution of a key radioactive nuclide in this nebula and the separation of gas from solid at the beginnings of planet formation. This will tell us about the compositions of planets likely to form and whether or not they will melt extensively. A major event in the history of a growing planet is the sinking of metal to its centre, forming a core. This is well understood on Earth, but not for smaller planetary bodies. We will use a novel, isotopic measure of the size of cores in one of the largest asteroids (Vesta), the Moon and Mars. This new approach is made possible by our ability to make precision isotopic measurements and couple them with melting experiments in the lab. The idea behind this approach is that we have few samples of these planetary bodies and the techniques used on Earth do not work well for such samples, which have experienced unknown perturbation en route to the surface. We have strong reason to believe this does not occur for Ni isotopes and so they record a robust signal of core formation in small bodies.Although the formation of some small planetary bodies, like Vesta, is thought to be well understood, the origin of our closest companion, the Moon has long proven problematic. What appeared successful models of its dynamics fail to account for its marked chemical similarity with the Earth. To address this a new suite of models have been proposed, which represent a radical departure in the style of formation. However, it is still not know how the Moon actually forms from the vapour cloud formed in such collisions. This is the focus of our fourth project which will further see if the new models can also explain the identical isotopic compositions of Earth and Moon.The interior of the Earth is difficult to probe, but the dynamics of the Moon's interior is yet harder. Seismic techniques are used on Earth and there are some seismic records of the Moon. These noisey data are difficult to process, but advances in processing terrestrial data make it time to re-examine the information carried in the lunar archive. In particular, the project will look for anisotropy- caused by the preferential alignment of objects. This has proven very successful on Earth and may reveal a more detailed picture of motions within the lunar interior and whether or not this relates to obvious features on the surface.Finally our planetary exploration focuses on the active atmosphere of Saturn's satellite Titan. Using spectroscopic observations from spacecraft and new, high-resolution, ground-based data, the project will examine the distribution of oxygen bearing molecules in Titan's atmosphere and use this information to test models of the processes that produce and move these species. This will provide a window into understanding the active atmosphere of a distant planetary body.

这项拟议的工作跟踪了行星体的发展，从其原材料的形成到其大气层的功能。我们的注意力从最早的太阳系开始，当时唯一的细粒物质存在于太阳周围。我们都将研究这个星云中一种关键的放射性核素的分布，以及行星形成之初气体与固体的分离。这将告诉我们可能形成的行星的组成，以及它们是否会广泛融化。在一个不断增长的行星的历史上，一个重大事件是金属下沉到它的中心，形成一个核心。这在地球上是很好理解的，但对于较小的行星体却不是这样。我们将使用一种新颖的同位素测量方法来测量最大的小行星之一(灶神星)月球和火星的核心大小。这种新方法之所以成为可能，是因为我们有能力进行精确的同位素测量，并将其与实验室中的熔化实验相结合。这种方法背后的想法是，我们几乎没有这些行星体的样本，而地球上使用的技术对这些样本并不起作用，这些样本在到达地表的途中经历了未知的扰动。我们有很强的理由相信，镍同位素不会发生这种情况，所以它们记录了一个强烈的信号，表明在小天体中形成了核心。尽管人们认为一些小行星的形成，如灶神星，被认为是很好的理解，但我们最亲密的伙伴的起源，月球长期以来一直被证明是有问题的。它的动力学模型似乎很成功，但未能解释它与地球在化学上的明显相似性。为了解决这一问题，提出了一套新的模型，这代表了队形风格的根本背离。然而，目前还不知道月球实际上是如何从这种碰撞中形成的蒸汽云中形成的。这是我们第四个项目的重点，将进一步看看新的模型是否也能解释地球和月球的相同同位素组成。地球内部很难探测，但月球内部的动力学更难。地球上使用了地震技术，有一些关于月球的地震记录。这些杂乱的数据很难处理，但处理地面数据的进步使得重新检查月球档案中携带的信息的时候到了。特别是，该项目将寻找各向异性--由物体优先对齐引起的。这在地球上被证明是非常成功的，可能会揭示更详细的月球内部运动的图景，以及这是否与月球表面的明显特征有关。最后，我们的行星探索集中在土星卫星土卫六的活跃大气上。利用来自航天器的光谱观测和新的高分辨率地面数据，该项目将检查土卫六大气中含氧分子的分布，并使用这些信息来测试产生和移动这些物种的过程的模型。这将为了解遥远行星体的活跃大气提供一个窗口。

项目成果

Interferometric Imaging of Titan's HC 3 N, H 13 CCCN, and HCCC 15 N

Titan 的 HC 3 N、H 13 CCCN 和 HCCC 15 N 的干涉成像

• DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/aac38d
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: Cordiner M

Latitudinal Variations in Methane Abundance, Aerosol Opacity and Aerosol Scattering Efficiency in Neptune's Atmosphere Determined From VLT/MUSE

由 VLT/MUSE 确定的海王星大气中甲烷丰度、气溶胶不透明度和气溶胶散射效率的纬度变化

• DOI: 10.1029/2023je007980
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Planets
• 作者: Irwin P

Latitudinal variation of methane mole fraction above clouds in Neptune's atmosphere from VLT/MUSE-NFM: Limb-darkening reanalysis

来自 VLT/MUSE-NFM 的海王星大气云层上方甲烷摩尔分数的纬度变化：临边变暗再分析

• DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114277
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: Icarus
• 影响因子: 3.2
• 作者: Irwin P

ALMA Spectral Imaging of Titan Contemporaneous with Cassini's Grand Finale

与卡西尼号大结局同期的土卫六的 ALMA 光谱成像

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/ab2d20
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: The Astronomical Journal
• 作者: Cordiner M

Spectral determination of the colour and vertical structure of dark spots in Neptune's atmosphere

海王星大气中黑斑颜色和垂直结构的光谱测定

• DOI: 10.1038/s41550-023-02047-0
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: Nature Astronomy
• 影响因子: 14.1
• 作者: Irwin P