abstract: The pace of exoplanet discoveries has rapidly accelerated in the past few decades and the number of planets with measured mass and radius is expected to pick up in the coming years. Many more planets with a size similar to earth are expected to be found. Currently, software for characterizing rocky planet interiors is lacking. There is no doubt that a planet’s interior plays a key role in determining surface conditions including atmosphere composition and land area. Comparing data with diagrams of mass vs. radius for terrestrial planets provides only a first-order estimate of the internal structure and composition of planets [e.g. Seager et al 2007]. This thesis will present a new Python library, ExoPlex, which has routines to create a forward model of rocky exoplanets between 0.1 and 5 Earth masses. The ExoPlex code offers users the ability to model planets of arbitrary composition of Fe-Si-Mg-Al-Ca-O in addition to a water layer. This is achieved by modeling rocky planets after the earth and other known terrestrial planets. The three distinct layers which make up the Earth's internal structure are: core, mantle, and water. Terrestrial planet cores will be dominated by iron however, like earth, there may be some quantity of light element inclusion which can serve to enhance expected core volumes. In ExoPlex, these light element inclusions are S-Si-O and are included as iron-alloys. Mantles will have a more diverse mineralogy than planet cores. Unlike most other rocky planet models, ExoPlex remains unbiased in its treatment of the mantle in terms of composition. Si-Mg-Al-Ca oxide components are combined by predicting the mantle mineralogy using a Gibbs free energy minimization software package called Perple\_X [Connolly 2009]. By allowing an arbitrary composition, ExoPlex can uniquely model planets using their host star’s composition as an indicator of planet composition. This is a proven technique [Dorn et al 2015] which has not yet been widely utilized, possibly due to the lack of availability of easy to use software. I present a model sensitivity analysis to indicate the most important parameters to constrain in future observing missions. ExoPlex is currently available on PyPI so it may be installed using pip or conda on Mac OS or Linux based operating systems. It requires a specific scripting environment which is explained in the documentation currently stored on the ExoPlex GitHub page. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Astrophysics 2018

In accordance with the title, the present paper divides itself into two parts, of which the first wil1 be a brief resume of the planetary work done here, with a few details and announcements which have not heretofore been given to the public, and the second will present the writer's personal opinions of why it has been possible to reach these results. The latter must necessarily be more in the form of suggestions than facts, for to give facts one must have tried personally many widely separated localities over long periods of time.

In a multi-planet system, gravitational interactions cause orbital eccentricity variations. For non-resonant systems, classical secular theory reveals that the eccentricities are vector sums of contributions from several eigenmodes. Examination of the eigenvectors often reveals subsets of planets that interact especially strongly as dynamical groups. Perturbations from other sources, such as tides, are shared among the planets through the secular interactions. If one planet's eccentricity is tidally damped, all the eigenmodes damp so as to leave a signature on their amplitudes. Therefore, if one desires to include some a priori tidal damping in an orbital fit, solutions should not assume the current eccentricity of that planet to be low, but rather for the eigenmodes that damp quickly to have low amplitude. The tidally perturbed planet may retain a substantial eccentricity, because some eigenmodes will be longer-lived. The secular eigenmodes, including relative damping rates, have been calculated for all 72 non-resonant extra-solar systems with adequate data. Tides also affect evolution of planets' semi-major axes, which is coupled with eccentricity evolution. A planet that, alone, would be quickly circularized so as to not experience much semi-major axis migration, could rapidly be forced into the star in the presence of an outer planet. Also, though such an inner planet may now be gone, the eccentricity of the outer planet could have been damped due to tides that acted on the inner planet. Any inferences about the primordial orbits of observed planets must consider these effects. For systems where the inner planet has not yet reached the star, the planets' eccentricities can be constrained for any particular assumed tidal dissipation factor Q', e.g. for the KOI-543 system, if the inner planet is rocky, the eccentricities must be<0.001. The habitable zone around low-mass stars is close to the star, precisely where tides are important. Low-mass stars are very long lived, and can be very old currently. A habitable planet likely needs tectonics for cycles that regulate the atmosphere, but a planet's internal heat will decay over long timescales. However, an outer planet could maintain the inner planet's eccentricity, allowing tidal heating to maintain long-term habitability. Secular interactions, coupled with tidal effects, may be critical for planetary habitability.

This dissertation explores the atmospheric circulation of extrasolar planets ranging from hot Jupiters to super Earths. For each of these studies, I utilize a three-dimensional circulation model coupled to a state-of-the-art, plane-parallel, two-stream, non-grey radiative transfer model dubbed the SPARC/MITgcm. First, I present models of the atmospheric circulation of eccentric hot Jupiters, a population which undergoes large variations in flux throughout their orbits. I demonstrate that the eccentric hot Jupiter regime is qualitatively similar to that of planets on circular orbits. For a select number of model integrations, I generate full-orbit lightcurves and find that the timing of transit and secondary eclipse viewed from Earth with respect to periapse and apoapse can greatly affect what is seen in infrared (IR) lightcurves. Next, I present circulation models of WASP-43b, a transiting hot Jupiter that is joining the ranks of HD 189733b and HD 209458b as a 'benchmark' hot Jupiter, with a wide array of observational constraints from the ground and space. Here I utilize the robust dataset of spectrophotometric observations taken with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to interpret my model results. I find that an atmospheric composition of 5x solar provides the best match to the data, particularly in emission. Lastly, I present atmospheric simulations of the super Earth GJ 1214b, exploring the planet's circulation as a function of atmospheric metallicity and composition. I find that atmospheres with a low mean-molecular weight have strong day-night temperature variations at pressures above the infrared photosphere that lead to equatorial superrotation. For these atmospheres, the enhancement of atmospheric opacities with increasing metallicity leads to shallower atmospheric heating, larger day-night temperature variations and hence stronger superrotation. In comparison, atmospheres with a high mean-molecular weight have larger day-night and equator-to-pole temperature variations than low mean-molecular weight atmospheres, but differences in opacity structure and energy budget lead to differences in jet structure. By comparing emergent flux spectra and lightcurves for 50x solar and water-dominated compositions, I show that observations in emission can break the degeneracy in determining the atmospheric composition of GJ 1214b. In sum, these three studies explore exoplanet atmospheric circulation as a function of mass, radius, gravity, rotation rate, eccentricity and orbital distance.

The Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite (HED) meteorites are a suite of basalts, cumulates and breccias which originate from one differentiated parent body, and are linked to the asteroid Vesta. The HEDs are petrologically diverse with a range of major, minor and trace element compositions. Early crystallisation ages are recorded and so the HEDs provide us with a unique snapshot into the early solar system. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the petrogenesis of the eucrites and diogenites by addressing two questions. What is the Bulk Silicate Vesta (BSV) composition? What differentiation and magmatic processes have occurred? Putative BSV compositions were derived from the geochemistry of the meteorites and geophysical observations of Vesta. Series of one-atmosphere experiments and thermodynamic models investigated the BSV phase relations. Olivine crystallised at ~1625 °C, followed by orthopyroxene at ~1350 °C and feldspar at ~1125 °C. Low-Ca pyroxene-melt partition coefficients for the minor and trace elements were measured. The compatibility of the REEs and HFSEs in low- Ca pyroxene increased by a factor of three, as temperature decreased from 1300-1125 °C and calcium content increased from Wo_0.5-Wo₈. These partition coefficients were combined with the observed phase relations to perform geochemical trace element calculations of differentiation and magmatic processes. My results suggest that BSV had an Mg#(100&ast;(Mg/(Mg+Fe²⁺)) between 75-80, > 43 wt. % SiO₂, 2.5 x CI refractory lithophile elements, 0.5 wt. % MnO and 0.75 wt. % Cr₂O₃. A three stage model for Vesta's evolution is suggested. Firstly, extensive if not global partial melting of BSV. Then, equilibrium crystallisation of the mantle and fractional crystallisation of mantle-derived melts produced diogenitic cumulates and eucrite liquids, accounting for the range in major and trace element abundances. The re-equilibration of trapped melt in cumulates is also thought to have occurred. Finally, crustal anatexis produced the range in trace element fractionations seen.

abstract: Meteorites and their components can be used to unravel the history of the early Solar System. Carbonaceous chondrites are meteorites that originated from undifferentiated parent bodies that formed within a few million years of the beginning of the Solar System. These meteorites contain calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs), which are the oldest dated solids in the Solar System at ~4.567 billion years old and thus preserve a record of the earliest stage of Solar System formation. The isotopic compositions of CAIs and bulk carbonaceous chondrites can be used to identify the sources of material inherited by the protoplanetary disk, assess the degree of mixing in the disk, and evaluate sample origins and potential genetic relationships between parent bodies. In particular, mass-independent Cr and Ti isotopic compositions have proven to be especially useful for these purposes. In this work, I first developed new methods for the chemical separation of Cr and Ti, improving the reliability of existing methods to ensure consistent yields and accurate isotopic measurements. I then measured the Cr and Ti isotopic compositions of CAIs from CV and CK chondrites to determine the extent of isotopic heterogeneity in the CAI-forming region and assess the role of CAIs in the preservation of planetary-scale isotopic anomalies. My results show that all measured CAIs originated from a common isotopic reservoir that incorporated material from at least three distinct nucleosynthetic sources and preserved limited isotopic heterogeneity. These results also suggest that planetary-scale isotopic anomalies cannot be attributed solely to the transport of CAIs from one part of the solar nebula to another. I finally measured the Cr and Ti isotopic compositions of bulk CM, CO, and ungrouped chondrites to evaluate the relationship between CM and CO chondrites, which have been suggested to originate from either distinct but related parent bodies or a common compositionally heterogeneous parent body. My results suggest that CM, CO, and related ungrouped chondrites originated from distinct parent bodies that formed from similar precursor materials in nearby formation regions. These results may have implications for asteroid samples returned by the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 missions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 2020

<div><div><div><p>Double ridges are one of the most ubiquitous surface features on Europa. Double ridges are pairs of linear topographic highs on the order of 100 m in topographic relief that are divided by a narrow trough. The double ridges are narrow, with widths less than 5 km. They span 100s of km, overlap with one another, and cover much of Europa’s surface. The ubiquity of double ridges implies that the process forming them can occur globally rather than in a single region with unusual properties. Constraining the formation of ridges may provide constraints on possible shell thicknesses and thermomechanical states globally on Europa. However, the mechanism responsible for ridge formation is still uncertain. This thesis discusses tests of the viability of incremental ice wedging to create topography like that observed at Europa’s ridges through finite element modeling. This work also narrows the range of depths at which a wedge could create a double ridge. The results indicate that shallow wedges less than 500 m from the surface can create deformation similar to observed double ridges.</p></div></div></div>

abstract: Jupiter’s moon Europa is an active target of research because of its unique geology and its potential for habitability. Europa’s icy chaos disrupts and transforms the previous terrain, suggesting melting is involved. Chaos occurs alongside several types of endogenic surface features. These microfeatures are under <100 km2 in area and include uplifts and domes, pits, spots, and hybrid features. The distribution of microfeatures is known in the ~10% of the Europa’s surface that are covered by the regional mosaics (“RegMaps”). The efforts to connect microfeature formation to any kind of heat transport in Europa are confounded because microfeatures are difficult to identify outside of RegMaps because of low image resolutions. Finding microfeatures outside of RegMaps would provide new observational constraints for microfeature formation models. First, I mapped microfeatures across four of Europa’s RegMaps and validated them against other mapping datasets. Microchaos features are the most numerous, followed by pits, domes, then hybrids. Spots are the least common features, and the smallest. Next, I mapped features in low-resolution images that covered the E15RegMap01 area to determine error rates and sources of omission or misclassification for features mapped in low-resolution images. Of all features originally mapped in the RegMap, pits and domes were the least likely to be re-mapped or positively identified (24.2% and 5%, respectively). Chaos, spots, and hybrids were accurately classified over 70% of the time. Quantitatively classifying these features using discriminant function analysis yielded comparable values of accuracy when compared to a human mapper. Finally, nearest-neighbor clustering analyses were used to show that pits are clustered in all regions, while chaos, domes, and hybrids vary in terms of their spatial clustering. This work suggests that the most likely processes for microfeature formations is either the evolution of liquid water sills within Europa’s ice shell or cryovolcanism. Future work extending to more areas outside of the RegMaps can further refine microfeature formation models. The detection of liquid water at or near the surface is a major goal of multiple upcoming Europa missions; this work provides predictions that can be directly tested by these missions to maximize their scientific return. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Geological Sciences 2019

No description available.

<div>Evidence of past volcanic activity has been found on many planets and moons in our Solar System, and volcanism represents a common process that ties together the geologic history of planetary bodies. Volcanic eruptions are a unique geologic process that link the planet’s interior to the surface and the atmosphere/exosphere. A key planetary science objective described in the 2013-2022 Decadal Survey is to characterize planetary surfaces and understand their modification by geologic processes, including volcanism. The Earth, Moon, and Mars have evidence of past effusive and explosive volcanic eruptions, creating a range of volcanic edifices, landforms, flows, and pyroclastic deposits. This dissertation strives to understand the composition and eruption style of explosive volcanic deposits on the terrestrial bodies of the Earth, the Moon, and Mars. These deposits provide critical insights into the volcanic and volatile histories of the bodies and may provide in situ resources for future planetary explorers. I utilize data from orbital and laboratory spectrometers to analyze volcanic tephras across the solar system. My dissertation uses new techniques from lab studies to inform orbital spectroscopy and geomorphology comparisons of explosive volcanic deposits. By identifying glass and other igneous minerals in the visible/near-infrared and thermal infrared orbital spectra of volcanic deposits we can infer volcanic eruption style and constrain the history of explosive volcanism of planetary bodies. With remote sensing, I investigated a large and ancient volcanic complex, the Marius Hills, with significant implications for the early volcanic history of the Moon and the pyroclastic deposits of a single impact basin, Schrödinger, that has been selected as a landing site for robotic missions in 2024. This dissertation expands on the previous limited understanding of explosive vs effusive volcanism on the Moon, with the ability to further constrain eruption styles with remote sensing. The results presented in this dissertation are directly relevant to the future goals of NASA and the effort to return humans to the lunar surface and have increased the science return of lunar missions like the ISRO/NASA Moon Mineralogy Mapper. </div>