WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A SMOOTHED PARTICLE HYDRODYNAMIC COUPLED TO A RAREFIED GAS DYNAMIC MODEL (SPH-RGD) FOR SIMULATION OF HEAT FLOW IN THE THERMOSPHERE AND EXOSPHERE REGIONS OF PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES THAT AFFECT MASS SEPARATION AND ESCAPE. IN THIS APPROACH THE DENSE REGION OF THE THERMOSPHERE THAT IS IN THERMAL EQUILIBRIUM (MAXWELLIAN) IS MODELED USING THE HYDRODYNAMIC EQUATIONS AND IN THE DILUTE REGION OF ATMOSPHERE WHERE GAS IS NON MAXWELLIAN A RAREFIED GAS DYNAMIC MODEL WILL BE APPLIED. AT AN INTERMEDIATE BOUNDARY THE MODELS WILL BE COUPLED USING MACROSCOPIC FLOW PROPERTIES. WE WILL PERFORM INITIAL SIMULATIONS USING SPH-RGD TO DEMONSTRATE ITS USEFULNESS IN MODELING CALLISTOS ATMOSPHERE.

New York University, New York NY

Investigators