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Science Lecture by William Smyth |
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Date: April 4, 2007
Time: 10:30am
Location: NIA, Rm 137
Additional Information: Speaker Bio
Atmospheres of Mercury and the Moon: Theoretical Overview and Simulation
William H. Smyth, Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc.
A brief review of the atmospheres of Mercury and the Moon will be given. Since both atmospheres are exospheres, gases do not effectively interact collisionally above the surface. Different gas species can therefore behave quite independently and produce multiple atmospheres, with the nature of the atmospheric structure and gravitational escape for each atom/molecule reflecting its unique physical properties and interactions with the surface and space environment. An overview of the physical processes that are important in shaping the bound and escaping structure of the atmospheres will be presented. Model simulations based upon these physical processes provide tools to elucidate the interplay of sources, sinks, transport, and surface interactions for each gas species and to investigate how these processes may collectively explain the observed abundances, spatial distributions, and temporal variabilities of gases in the atmosphere. Model simulations also provide an avenue to explore the coupling interactions of these atmospheres with their larger magnetospheric and/or solar-wind environments. Selected Earth-based observations and model simulations for the brightest and hence best documented Na atmospheres of Mercury and the Moon will be presented to illustrate recent advancements in our understanding.
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