US-Federal Republic of Germany Cooperative Research: New Models of the Inner Structure, Mantle Dynamics and Thermal Evolution of Mars

该奖项支持加州大学洛杉矶分校的Gerald Schubert博士与德意志联邦共和国明斯特大学行星学研究所的Tilman Spohn博士在天文学研究方面的合作。他们正致力于开发火星内部结构、地幔动力学和热化学演化的新模型。斯伯恩博士开发了一个程序，用于计算自一致的行星模型，其中包括热膨胀系数的压力依赖性。舒伯特博士有一个适用于火星的三维对流程序，可以使用克雷电脑。美国和苏联最近的和计划中的任务已经把火星移到了行星学兴趣的中心。目前的火星模型已经有近十年的历史了，不能再反映当今关于类地行星物质的热力学和高压物理、火星地壳和地核的年龄以及构造学的知识。合作者的初步计算表明，对以前的模型进行了重大修改。他们正在发展的模型应与下述问题有关：火星的形成及其演化，对未来火星任务的磁场数据的解释，以及对太阳系结构和演化的宇宙生成学和宇宙化学考虑。

This award supports Dr. Gerald Schubert of UCLA to collaborate in astronomy research with Dr. Tilman Spohn of the Institute of Planetology of the University of Muenster, Federal Republic of Germany. They are working to develop new models of the inner structure, mantle dynamics and the thermal and chemical evolution of Mars. Dr. Spohn has developed a program for the computation of self- consistent planetary models, which include the pressure dependence of the thermal expansion coefficient. Dr. Schubert has a three- dimensional convection program applicable to Mars and access to Cray computers. Recent and planned missions of the USA and USSR have moved Mars to the center of interest in planetology. Current models of Mars are almost ten years old and no longer reflect today's knowledge of the thermodynamics and high pressure physics of terrestrial planetary material, the age of the Martian crust and core, and tectonics. Preliminary calculations by the collaborators suggest significant revisions to previous models. The models they are developing should be of relevance to questions concerning the formation of Mars and its evolution, the interpretation of magnetic field data from future missions to Mars, and cosmogonic and cosmochemical considerations of the structure and evolution of the solar system.