New Calculations of Temperatures and Volatile Migration on Small Bodies
New Calculations of Temperatures and Volatile Migration on Small Bodies
Abstract:
We have a new tool for calculating volatile transport and the 3-D
temperature field (latitude, longitude, and depth), called VT3D. This
tool is orders of magnitude faster than comparable models, opening up
opportunities for large parameter-space searches, or for studies on a
range of timescales (e.g., diurnal/seasonal). VT3D (i) uses initial
conditions that improve convergence, (ii) uses an expedient method for
handling the transition between global and non-global atmospheres,
(iii) includes local conservation of energy and global conservation of
mass to partition energy between heating, conduction, and sublimation
or condensation, (iv) uses Crank-Nicholson time-stepping algorithms
that ensure stability while allowing larger timesteps. I summarize
the algorithms and implementation of VT3D, and its application to
Pluto and other small objects in the outer solar system.
temperature field (latitude, longitude, and depth), called VT3D. This
tool is orders of magnitude faster than comparable models, opening up
opportunities for large parameter-space searches, or for studies on a
range of timescales (e.g., diurnal/seasonal). VT3D (i) uses initial
conditions that improve convergence, (ii) uses an expedient method for
handling the transition between global and non-global atmospheres,
(iii) includes local conservation of energy and global conservation of
mass to partition energy between heating, conduction, and sublimation
or condensation, (iv) uses Crank-Nicholson time-stepping algorithms
that ensure stability while allowing larger timesteps. I summarize
the algorithms and implementation of VT3D, and its application to
Pluto and other small objects in the outer solar system.