Geological processes on the terrestrial planets: regolith, cratering, and history

类地行星的地质过程：风化层、陨石坑和历史

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-05004
• 负责人: Ghent, Rebecca
• 金额: $ 2.4万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=684739
• 关键词: Geological; processes; terrestrial; planets; regolith

I am a recognized expert in the field of planetary science, notably in the study of planetary regoliths. My research group combines laboratory measurements of regolith properties and direct observation of regoliths using remote sensing, modeling of electromagnetic wave propagation, and statistical analyses of impact crater populations to investigate important open questions in planetary regolith science. Our goal is to advance the state of knowledge of regolith processes, and to provide new levels of understanding of the ways in which those processes bear on the larger-scale geological evolution of planetary bodies.****Planetary regoliths provide a 4.5 billion year long record of Solar System events largely not preserved on Earth; in particular, they contain records of bombardment at all scales. This is important because objects that are available to produce impacts on other bodies in the inner Solar System (e.g., the Moon) are also available to strike Earth, and therefore a) represent potential hazards; and b) provide a record of events affecting Earth for which the terrestrial record is sparse. My work has shown that regolith properties can be used to constrain both the incoming flux of these objects over geological time and their effects on planetary surfaces. ***My research program is centered around three major projects, with associated tasks that constitute HQP theses or parts of theses. These projects all focus on the central question: What do the physical properties of planetary regoliths reveal about the underlying geological processes? Each project addresses an aspect of this question in a unique way, using state of the art instrumentation, the most recent planetary mission data, and sophisticated modelling techniques. ****I am currently involved in three active NASA planetary missions (one in orbit, one launching in 2016, and one launching in 2020), and my research involves generation, processing, and analysis of new mission data, as well as laboratory measurements, field work, and modelling at all stages of the mission life cycle. Current HQP trainees in my group are active members of the science teams for these missions, and have a rare opportunity to participate in these high-profile international missions at the ground level. They are not simply users of publicly available mission data, but interact with the missions' science and engineering teams as full participants in the experiments. In addition to the invaluable set of academic and marketable skills that this work will provide them, their experience functioning as members of these international NASA mission teams will place HQP trainees in a rarified stratum of highly skilled workers, ready to meet Canada's future need for expertise in the technical space sector.**

我是行星科学领域公认的专家，特别是在行星风化层的研究方面。我的研究小组结合了风化层特性的实验室测量和直接观测，利用遥感、电磁波传播建模和陨石坑人口的统计分析来研究行星风化层科学中的重要开放问题。我们的目标是提高对风化过程的认识水平，并对这些过程对行星体的大规模地质演化的影响提供新的认识水平。****行星风化层提供了45亿年的太阳系事件记录，大部分没有保存在地球上；特别是，它们包含了各种规模的轰炸记录。这一点很重要，因为可以对太阳系内部的其他天体（如月球）产生影响的物体也可以撞击地球，因此a)代表着潜在的危险；b)提供影响地球的事件的记录，而地球上的记录很少。我的工作表明，风化层的特性可以用来限制这些物体在地质时期的入射通量，以及它们对行星表面的影响。***我的研究计划围绕三个主要项目展开，相关任务构成HQP论文或部分论文。这些项目都集中在一个核心问题上：行星风化层的物理性质揭示了潜在的地质过程？每个项目都以独特的方式解决这个问题的一个方面，使用最先进的仪器，最新的行星任务数据和复杂的建模技术。****我目前参与了三个NASA行星任务（一个在轨，一个在2016年发射，一个在2020年发射），我的研究涉及新任务数据的生成、处理和分析，以及任务生命周期各个阶段的实验室测量、实地工作和建模。目前我所在小组的HQP学员都是这些任务的科学团队的积极成员，并有难得的机会在地面参与这些备受瞩目的国际任务。他们不仅仅是公开可用的任务数据的用户，而是作为实验的完全参与者与任务的科学和工程团队互动。除了这项工作将为他们提供一套宝贵的学术和市场技能外，他们作为这些国际NASA任务团队成员的工作经验将使HQP学员成为高技能工人的少数阶层，准备好满足加拿大未来对技术空间领域专业知识的需求