Florida
Space Institute Seminar Announcement
Speaker: Patrick Schelling
Affiliation: Physics, UCF
Day and Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Location:
Research Park
12354
Research Parkway
Partnership
1 Bldg. Suite 209
Orlando,
FL 32826
Opportunities For The
Application Of Atomic-Scale Simulation To Elucidate Space-Weathering Processes
The
mechanisms for space weathering of minerals include bombardment by solar wind
particles, cosmic rays, and micrometeorites. As a result of space weathering,
mineral surfaces evolve strongly away from that of the parent mineral. This has
important impacts on the spectral and chemical properties of objects in the
solar system, including lunar and asteroidal regolith. For example, one effect
of space weathering is the strong reduction of silicate minerals and the
subsequent production of nanophase elemental Fe within the silicate matrix. In
this talk, ongoing work to understand space weathering starting from
atomic-scale modeling will be presented. The fundamental process of radiation
damage involves the production of Frenkel defects which subsequently evolve to
create defect clusters and dislocations. In a strongly-reduced silicate matrix,
interstitial Fe clusters may grow into nanophase Fe. Plans to explore the
chemical reactivity of space-weathered materials will also be described. For
example, implanted hydrogen trapped at cation vacancy sites may be a mechanism
for the production of water molecules. It has been speculated for some time
that water molecules are produced on the lunar surface due to proton
bombardment, but the details of this process are not understood. It is also
known that Fe is strongly catalytic for the production of hydrocarbons, which
might be an interesting consequence of the production of nanophase Fe.
Many
of the approaches that are employed have a long history in materials science,
and are quite well developed, but have not been extensively applied to
questions of interest to the planetary science community. One objective of the
talk is to highlight possible opportunities for future research directions.
For
further information please the click below:
Contact:
Todd
Bradley
Department
of Physics
Phone:
407-823-0631
Email:
tbradley @ physics. ucf. edu
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