3-D numerical simulations of a growing planet with the core formation

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24740310
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Solid earth and planetary physics
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: FURUICHI Mikito 独立行政法人海洋研究開発機構, 数理科学・先端技術研究分野, 主任研究員 (50415981)
• Research Collaborator: NAKAGAWA Takashi 独立行政法人海洋研究開発機構, 数理科学・先端技術研究分野, 主任研究員 (50396941) ; NISHIURA Daisuke 独立行政法人海洋研究開発機構, 数理科学・先端技術研究分野, 技術研究員 (60509719)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 惑星形成 / 始源物質リザーバー / 初期地球 / ストークス流れ / 移流陰解法 / JNFK

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I have conducted the 3-D Stokes flow simulation under a self-gravitating field with a free-surface to investigate the material differentiation process during core formation stage. A target of my work is the internal change of the planet grown by the impact induced magma ponds in a time scale of the deformation of a mantle rock. Results of numerical simulation indicate that the initial Mars-sized proto planet might not be completely differentiated with the magma pond because thick differentiated mantle layer are produced with the core formation. Thus, I propose a new scenario for creating the compositional heterogeneity with remaining dense material originate from the proto planet. In addition in order to incorporate the thermal differentiation to our model, a new implicit advection time stepping method is proposed which can efficiently solve thermal convection surrounded by deformable free surface boundaries.

Free Research Field

計算地球科学