[Baps] Sign up to meet with Fiona Nichols-Fleming (Brown University); our 11/29 Planetary Lunch Speaker

[Jason Soderblom]

Please sign up<https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11p1LK9KqCg4niIfDtDlFc_3q6IgTZSoNO_zsKdPIYUQ/edit?usp=sharing> to meet with our speaker, Fiona Nichols-Fleming (Ph.D. student from Brown University) next Tuesday 11/29 (virtual meetings are also possible).

Fiona will be talking about her work on Psyche — she has, however, published<https://www.planetaryfiona.com/publications> work on Titan, Pluto, Dione, and even solar spots!

Details of her talk are listed below.

Best,
Jason Soderblom


Planetary Lunch Seminar – Fiona Nichols-Fleming (Brown University)

Tuesday November 29th @ 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm | Room 54-517 and Zoom<https://mit.zoom.us/j/96525774689>

Title: Core Solidification & Contraction on 16 Psyche

Abstract: Asteroid 16 Psyche is a puzzling body with both evidence of a metal rich surface and a density of only about half that of pure iron. This potential contradiction has led to a lot of discussion of the true mass fraction of metal contained in Psyche and thus the associated formation scenario. In addition to the iron mass fraction, the process of core solidification is important for the thermal evolution of an undisrupted body, but there are still many uncertainties in modeling this process for low-pressure cores. In particular, the choice between inward vs. outward solidification will have a significant influence on the inferred thermal evolution of a Psyche-sized body. Here, we model the thermal evolution of a Psyche-sized body with varying values of iron mass fraction using inward and outward concentric core growth to determine the resulting differences in thermal evolution and history of radial contraction. We find that the timing and absolute amount of contraction can provide constraints on the cooling history and composition of Psyche. These differences in radial contraction could be measured by the Psyche spacecraft upon its arrival.

Meeting with the Speaker: Fiona will be visiting the department on Tuesday and is available to meet people individually; please sign up here:

Code to get into the Zoom meetings 54915
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