The Smallest Interstellar Grains: Optical/Near-IR Emission from Nanoparticles

这个项目将为Shoemaker-Levy 9(SL9)事件的撞击、羽流喷发和羽流飞行/飞溅阶段开发一系列相互关联的3D流体力学和化学模型。这些模型将平流示踪粒子，其温度(T)和压力(P)历史将驱动化学和颗粒模型。化学和颗粒结果将被重新插入到飞溅模型中，以计算真实的光线曲线和撞击现场图像。将对模型进行几项研究，这些模型将在一台小型集群超级计算机上运行。该模型是全面解释令人费解的SL9数据所必需的，它将提供有关木星大气和彗星组成的基本信息。这些模型将检验哈勃太空望远镜看到的膨胀环的理论。这项工作具有非常广泛的影响。这是第一个受观测约束的彗星撞击所有阶段的3D辐射流体动力学化学模型。模型和模型网格将与行星数据系统一起存档，以便它们很快就可以用于规划下一次撞击的观测，无论是10年后还是500年后。这些模型将对卡西尼号任务进行预测。公众对撞击的兴趣很高，因此结果将出现在科学文献和科普杂志上。*

AST 0307638HarringtonThis project will develop a linked series of 3D hydrodynamic and chemical models for the impact, plume blowout, and plume flight/splash phases of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) events. These models will advect tracer particles, whose temperature (T) and pressure (p) histories will drive chemical and grain models. Chemical and grain results will be re-inserted into the splash model to calculate realistic light curves and impact-site images. Several investigations will be carried out with the models, which will run on a small cluster supercomputer. The model is required for full interpretation of the puzzling SL9 data, and will yield basic information about Jupiter's atmosphere and comet composition. The models will test theories for the expanding rings seen by the Hubble Space Telescope. This work has a very broad impact. It is the first observationally-constrained 3D radiative-hydrodynamic chemical model of all phases of a cometary impact. The models and model grids will be archived with the Planetary Data System so that they will be quickly available for use in planning observations of the next impact, be it 10 or 500 years from now. The models will makepredictions for the Cassini mission. Public interest in impacts is high, so results will appear in both the scientific literature and in popular science magazines.***