Planetary Atmospheres
Cover Page/Proposal Summary
ROSS-00 NRA 00-OSS-01
Date Due: 4/28/2000
This proposal shall be used and disclosed for evaluation purposes only, and a copy of this Government notice shall be applied to any reproduction or abstract thereof. Any authorized restrictive notices that the submitter places on this proposal shall also be strictly complied with. Disclosure of this proposal for any reason outside the Government evaluation purposes shall be made only to the extent authorized by the Government. |
Proposal Type: New Proposal |
Proposal Category: Dynamics |
Major Equipment Proposal? No |
Do you intend to submit an Education/Public Outreach (E/PO) proposal? No |
Proposal Title: |
Convection and magnetic field generation in giant and extra-solar planets: Numerical simulations and laboratory experiments |
Abbreviated Proposal Title: |
Modeling giant and extra-solar planets |
Principal Investigator: |
Dr. Gary A. Glatzmaier Earth Sciences Department University of California 1156 high Street EMS Building Santa Cruz, CA 95064 Phone: 831-459-5504 Fax: 831-459-3074 E-mail: glatz@es.ucsc.edu |
Signature | Date |
_____________________________________ | ____________ |
Co-Investigators and Collaborators: | |||
Type | Name | Affiliation | |
Sci Co-I | Dr. Peter L Olson | Johns Hopkins Univ | olson@gibbs.eps.jhu.edu |
Sci Collab | Dr. Thomas Clune | Silicon Graphics, Inc. | clune@sgi.com |
Proposal Summary:
We propose to study the internal dynamics of giant planets, both those in our solar system and those currently being detected in other planetary systems. Several NASA missions have provided a wealth of observations related to the deep interiors of giant planets that needs to be explained. For example, the origins of their different zonal wind patterns and magnetic field structures are not understood. A better understanding of other planetary systems will also improve our understanding of our solar system planets. More than thirty extra-solar giant planets have been detected over the last couple years. We propose to study the internal dynamics of these gas giants by conducting a series of laboratory experiments in rotating convection and by 3D numerical simulations using modified versions of the Glatzmaier-Roberts dynamo model. The first year we will conduct the laboratory experiments and numerically simulate them to validate the model and to further our understanding of the fundamentals of rapidly rotating convection. During the second year we will construct realistic models of the giant planets by incorporating compressibility, a hydrogen phase transition, and a thin stable atmospheric layer in the model. Magnetic field generation will be included in year three. A successful simulation of Saturn should provide predictions about its global circulation and magnetic field, before Cassini arrives there in 2004.
Certification of Compliance with Applicable Executive Orders and U.S. Code
By submitting the proposal identified in this Cover Sheet/Proposal Summary in response to this NRA or AO, the Authorizing Official of the proposing institution (or the individual proposer if there is no proposing institution) as identified below:
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