THE STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF MEDIUM SIZED ICY BODIES

Uri MalamudAcknowledgment: Dina Prialnik

Department of Geophysics, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

Water in the solar system

• Asteroids • Main Belt (disguised comets?)• Trojans

500 km

• Comets

• Kuiper Belt Objects

• Centaurs

• Icy Satellites

• Long-period (Oort Cloud)• Short-period (Kuiper Belt)• Main Belt (?)

• Classical• Plutinos• Scattered

Can life exist elsewhere?

1. Sentient life evolving on planets2. Habitable Zone

Habitable Zone

Why Modeling?Europa

Enceladus

Titan

How does a Model work?

Properties

Energy Sources

Processes

CompositionStructurePhysical Traits

InternalExternal

Heat TransportThermodynamicsMultiphase Flow

MODEL

Structure1. Differentiated structure is postulated.2. Modeling Heating sources.3. Thermal Evolution.

Water Migration Models

Heat Sources in Larger Icy objects

CrystallizationInsolation

Long & short lived Radionuclides

Tidal Heating

Serpentinization

Physical Description

Output

Significance of Water Migration

Thank You