The origin of rings is one of the final arguments in a series explaining solar system formation. Liquid moons placed in circular orbits close to the planet (inside the Roche limit) will deposit ring material as they m...The origin of rings is one of the final arguments in a series explaining solar system formation. Liquid moons placed in circular orbits close to the planet (inside the Roche limit) will deposit ring material as they migrate. Once outside the limit, moons retain this material. Finally, the shape of the moon, Pan, is explained, using the same mechanism that forms rings.展开更多
Permanently shadowed regions(PSRs)on the Moon are potential reservoirs for water ice,making them hot spots for future lunar exploration.The water ice in PSRs would cause distinctive changes in space weathering there,i...Permanently shadowed regions(PSRs)on the Moon are potential reservoirs for water ice,making them hot spots for future lunar exploration.The water ice in PSRs would cause distinctive changes in space weathering there,in particular reduction-oxidation processes that diff er from those in illuminated regions.To determine the characteristics of products formed during space weathering in PSRs,the lunar meteorite NWA 10203 with artifi cially added water was irradiated with a nanosecond laser to simulate a micro-meteorite bombardment of lunar soil containing water ice.The TEM results of the water-incorporated sample showed distinct amorphous rims that exhibited irregular thickness,poor stratifi cation,the appearance of bubbles,and a reduced number of npFe^(0).Additionally,EELS analysis showed the presence of ferric iron at the rim of the nanophase metallic iron particles(npFe^(0))in the amorphous rim with the involvement of water.The results suggest that water ice is another possible factor contributing to oxidation during micrometeorite bombardment on the lunar surface.In addition,it off ers a reference for a new space weathering model that incorporates water in PSRs,which could be widespread on asteroids with volatiles.展开更多
To better understand Earth's present tectonic style-plate tectonics—and how it may have evolved from single plate(stagnant lid) tectonics, it is instructive to consider how common it is among similar bodies in th...To better understand Earth's present tectonic style-plate tectonics—and how it may have evolved from single plate(stagnant lid) tectonics, it is instructive to consider how common it is among similar bodies in the Solar System. Plate tectonics is a style of convection for an active planetoid where lid fragment(plate) motions reflect sinking of dense lithosphere in subduction zones, causing upwelling of asthenosphere at divergent plate boundaries and accompanied by focused upwellings, or mantle plumes;any other tectonic style is usefully called "stagnant lid" or "fragmented lid". In 2015 humanity completed a 50+ year effort to survey the 30 largest planets, asteroids, satellites, and inner Kuiper Belt objects,which we informally call "planetoids" and use especially images of these bodies to infer their tectonic activity. The four largest planetoids are enveloped in gas and ice(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)and are not considered. The other 26 planetoids range in mass over 5 orders of magnitude and in diameter over 2 orders of magnitude, from massive Earth down to tiny Proteus; these bodies also range widely in density, from 1000 to 5500 kg/m^3. A gap separates 8 silicate planetoids with ρ = 3000 kg/m^3 or greater from 20 icy planetoids(including the gaseous and icy giant planets) with ρ = 2200 kg/m^3 or less. We define the "Tectonic Activity Index"(TAI), scoring each body from 0 to 3 based on evidence for recent volcanism, deformation, and resurfacing(inferred from impact crater density). Nine planetoids with TAI = 2 or greater are interpreted to be tectonically and convectively active whereas 17 with TAI <2 are inferred to be tectonically dead. We further infer that active planetoids have lithospheres or icy shells overlying asthenosphere or water/weak ice. TAI of silicate(rocky) planetoids positively correlates with their inferred Rayleigh number. We conclude that some type of stagnant lid tectonics is the dominant mode of heat loss and that plate tectonics is unusual. To make progress understanding Earth's tectonic history and the tectonic style of active exoplanets, we need to better understand the range and controls of active stagnant lid tectonics.展开更多
文摘The origin of rings is one of the final arguments in a series explaining solar system formation. Liquid moons placed in circular orbits close to the planet (inside the Roche limit) will deposit ring material as they migrate. Once outside the limit, moons retain this material. Finally, the shape of the moon, Pan, is explained, using the same mechanism that forms rings.
基金support from the Youth Innovation Promotion Association,Chinese Academy of Sciences(2020395)Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences grant XDB 41000000(Y.L.)+4 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.42273042 and 41931077)"From 0 to 1"Original Exploration Cultivation Project,Institute of Geochemistry,Chinese Academy of Sciences(DHSZZ2023-3)Guizhou Provincial Foundation for Excellent Scholars Program(No.GCC[2023]088)Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Projects:QKHJCZK[2023]-General 473NSFC Young Scientist Fund(Nos.42303041 and 42403043)。
文摘Permanently shadowed regions(PSRs)on the Moon are potential reservoirs for water ice,making them hot spots for future lunar exploration.The water ice in PSRs would cause distinctive changes in space weathering there,in particular reduction-oxidation processes that diff er from those in illuminated regions.To determine the characteristics of products formed during space weathering in PSRs,the lunar meteorite NWA 10203 with artifi cially added water was irradiated with a nanosecond laser to simulate a micro-meteorite bombardment of lunar soil containing water ice.The TEM results of the water-incorporated sample showed distinct amorphous rims that exhibited irregular thickness,poor stratifi cation,the appearance of bubbles,and a reduced number of npFe^(0).Additionally,EELS analysis showed the presence of ferric iron at the rim of the nanophase metallic iron particles(npFe^(0))in the amorphous rim with the involvement of water.The results suggest that water ice is another possible factor contributing to oxidation during micrometeorite bombardment on the lunar surface.In addition,it off ers a reference for a new space weathering model that incorporates water in PSRs,which could be widespread on asteroids with volatiles.
基金supported by SNSF grant IZKOZ-2_154380partly supported by SNF 200021_149252
文摘To better understand Earth's present tectonic style-plate tectonics—and how it may have evolved from single plate(stagnant lid) tectonics, it is instructive to consider how common it is among similar bodies in the Solar System. Plate tectonics is a style of convection for an active planetoid where lid fragment(plate) motions reflect sinking of dense lithosphere in subduction zones, causing upwelling of asthenosphere at divergent plate boundaries and accompanied by focused upwellings, or mantle plumes;any other tectonic style is usefully called "stagnant lid" or "fragmented lid". In 2015 humanity completed a 50+ year effort to survey the 30 largest planets, asteroids, satellites, and inner Kuiper Belt objects,which we informally call "planetoids" and use especially images of these bodies to infer their tectonic activity. The four largest planetoids are enveloped in gas and ice(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)and are not considered. The other 26 planetoids range in mass over 5 orders of magnitude and in diameter over 2 orders of magnitude, from massive Earth down to tiny Proteus; these bodies also range widely in density, from 1000 to 5500 kg/m^3. A gap separates 8 silicate planetoids with ρ = 3000 kg/m^3 or greater from 20 icy planetoids(including the gaseous and icy giant planets) with ρ = 2200 kg/m^3 or less. We define the "Tectonic Activity Index"(TAI), scoring each body from 0 to 3 based on evidence for recent volcanism, deformation, and resurfacing(inferred from impact crater density). Nine planetoids with TAI = 2 or greater are interpreted to be tectonically and convectively active whereas 17 with TAI <2 are inferred to be tectonically dead. We further infer that active planetoids have lithospheres or icy shells overlying asthenosphere or water/weak ice. TAI of silicate(rocky) planetoids positively correlates with their inferred Rayleigh number. We conclude that some type of stagnant lid tectonics is the dominant mode of heat loss and that plate tectonics is unusual. To make progress understanding Earth's tectonic history and the tectonic style of active exoplanets, we need to better understand the range and controls of active stagnant lid tectonics.
