The effects of surface magma oceans triggered by giant impacts during the planet's formation

• Grant number: 23/09307-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2023
• End date: September 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy - Solar System Astronomy
• Principal Investigator: Othon Cabo Winter
• Grantee: Leandro Esteves de Paula
• Supervisor: Sébastien Charnoz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia (FEG). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Guaratinguetá. Guaratinguetá , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Institut de physique du globe de Paris, France
• Associated to the scholarship: 21/00628-6 - Evolution of the outer solar system from the formation of Uranus and Neptune, BP.DR

Abstract

The magma oceans on the surface of planets are an important issue in understanding the evolution of atmospheric composition and the mantle-to-core mass ratio of planets. The molten magma is constantly vaporized releasing heavy chemical species from the mantle into the atmosphere. The atmospheric escape of these heavy materials from the magma is favored when in contact with a hydrogen atmosphere, leading to the depletion of mantle mass and an increase in the planet's average density. In this project, we intend to study these effects on planets with magma oceans induced by giant impacts during planetary formation. To carry out the project, we will analyze the collisions resulting from simulations about the formation of giant ice planets and super-Earth-type exoplanets. The physical characteristics of the collisions will be obtained through post-processing. We pretend to use tools for modeling the mixing and chemical equilibrium at the magma-atmosphere interface and the atmospheric escape of gases in the presence of hydrogen atmospheres. Our expected outcomes should encompass the final composition of the atmosphere, mantle, and average density of the analyzed planets. (AU)