The origin and evolution of the terrestrial planets

类地行星的起源和演化

基本信息

批准号：
ST/M00094X/1
负责人：
Sara Russell
金额：
$ 81.92万
依托单位：
Natural History Museum
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2015
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2015 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FM00094X%2F1
关键词：
origin evolution terrestrial planets

项目摘要

The Solar System we see today, comprised of a central star orbited by planets, formed from a cloud of dust and gas that collapsed over 4.5 billion years ago. We can learn about the early stages of the Solar System's history by studying meteorites - samples of rocky asteroids (and possibly comets) whose contents provide us with snapshots of the events they have experienced. Some asteroids have remained rather dormant throughout their history, and preserve the very materials that were once swirling around the newly forming Sun. By analysing the primitive meteorites that sample such asteroids, we plan to study the ancient grains they contain in order to find out more about the solar system environment prior to planet formation. Other asteroids have been much more active, experiencing heating, melting and even igneous and volcanic activity. Any ices present in these bodies have melted, allowing liquid water to react with the rocky materials and produce water-bearing minerals. By studying the minerals in these processed meteorites we aim to learn more about the abundance and distribution of water in the early Solar System.As well as water, many asteroids and comets also contain organics. These two components are key ingredients to life as we know it. It has been suggested that once the Earth was formed, the water and organic material necessary for the development of life were actually delivered by impacting asteroids and comets. We will therefore also study the transfer of these materials during impacts by mimicking the process in the laboratory using various targets and bolides.The presence and action of water is not limited to the Earth, asteroids and comets. Missions to Mars have revealed its surface to be strewn with water-bearing minerals but have yet to return samples that we can study in the laboratory. We are fortunate to have a selection of meteorites that originated on Mars in our collection, and we plan to study these to learn about the action of water and the habitability of this planet.

我们今天看到的太阳能系统由一个被行星绕的中央恒星组成，该恒星是由尘埃和天然气云形成的，该灰尘和天然气崩溃了，超过45亿年前。我们可以通过研究陨石（岩石小行星的样本（以及可能是彗星）的样本，它们的内容为我们提供了他们所经历的事件的快照，我们可以通过研究太阳系历史的早期阶段。一些小行星在整个历史上仍然处于休眠状态，并保留了曾经在新形成的太阳周围旋转的材料。通过分析采样类似类型的原始陨石，我们计划研究它们所包含的古老谷物，以便在地球形成之前了解有关太阳系环境的更多信息。其他小行星的活跃得多，供暖，融化甚至火山燃料和火山活动。这些物体中存在的任何冰都融化了，允许液态水与岩石材料反应并产生含水矿物质。通过研究这些加工的陨石中的矿物质，我们旨在更多地了解早期太阳系中水的丰度和分布。以及水，许多小行星和彗星还包含有机物。据我们所知，这两个组成部分是生命的关键要素。有人提出，一旦形成地球，生命发展所需的水和有机材料实际上是通过影响小行星和彗星来提供的。因此，我们还将通过使用各种靶标在实验室中模仿实验室的过程来研究这些材料在撞击过程中的转移。水的存在和作用不限于地球，小行星和彗星。对火星的任务表明其表面是用含水矿物散布的，但尚未返回我们可以在实验室中研究的样品。我们很幸运能够选择源自我们收藏中火星的陨石，我们计划研究这些陨石，以了解水的作用和这个星球的可居住性。