| Module Identifier |
PH28720 |
| Module Title |
PLANETARY AND ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS |
| Academic Year |
2006/2007 |
| Co-ordinator |
Dr Andrew R Breen |
| Semester |
Semester 2 |
| Other staff |
Dr Martin C Wilding, Balazs Pinter, Dr David Barnes |
| Pre-Requisite |
Satisfactory completion of part 1 of the degree scheme |
| Mutually Exclusive |
PH29610 |
| Course delivery |
Seminars / Tutorials | 3 seminars and 1 poster presentation workshop. |
| |
Lecture | 30 Hours. |
| |
Practical | 6 practicals |
| Assessment |
| Assessment Type | Assessment Length/Details | Proportion |
|---|
| Semester Exam | 3 Hours Examination | 70% |
| Semester Assessment | Assignment sheets | 15% |
| Semester Assessment | Modelling worksheets | 10% |
| Semester Assessment | Poster presentation | 5% |
| Supplementary Exam | 3 Hours Examination | 100% |
|
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Describe the physical processes that underlie the evolution of the solid planets.
2. Explain how climate is influenced by orbital motion.
3. Describe the evolution of terrestrial and planetary atmospheres. Explain how non-Keplerian orbital motion arises. Explain how observations enable us to probe planetary interiors.
4. Explain the balance of energy in an atmospheric system. Solve simple problems in radiative transfer.
5. Explain the vertical structure of the neutral atmosphere in terms of the underlying physics.
6. Discuss the factors controlling fluid flow above a planetary susface.
7. Use a computational modelling suite to derive flow pattenrs above a planetary surface, display the results using a visualisation system and interpret them in terms of the underlying physics.
8. Use the model results to plan the best path for an airbourne planetary robot to follow above the terrain for specific experiment targets.
8. Present the results in poster form.
Brief description
This course will provide students with an overview of planetary science, including the constraints on robotic planetary exploration and the use of computational modelling of planetary atmospheres.
Content
Introduction to the solar system. Origin, age and mass of the solar nebula. Contraction of the solar nebula.
Orbits, resonances. Non-Keplerian orbits.
Tides, moons and rings.
Condensation and accretion of planetismals.
Planetary interiors - self compression and density structure in terrestrial planets and gas giants. Gravity fields and planetary shape.
Planetary thermodynamics, heat sources and variation of temperature with depth.
Planetary magnetic fields - movement of material inside planets and the dynamo mechanism.
Planetary exploration: control and communication, timelag and bandwidth.
Introduction to atmospheres. Structure of the Earth's atmosphere. Heating and layer formation.
Atmospheric energy balance. "Greenhouse effect". Convection and atmospheric dynamics.
Vertical structure. Hydrostatic equilibrium and scale heights. Atmospheric layers.
Planetary atmospheres - differences from Eath
Atmospheric flow - fluid mechanics as applied to atmospheres
Modelling planetary atmpospheres - approaches and constraints
Interpreting model results for flow over a planetary surface.
Reading Lists
Books
** Recommended Text
Hargreaves, J.K. (1995) The solar-terrestrial environment: an introduction to geospace - the science of the terrrestrial upper atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere
0521427371
Hartmann,W.K. Moons and Planets
Wadsworth
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5