ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004 Solar System Science with the ALMA Mark Gurwell Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics ALMA Science Workshop, May 200
Jan 15, 2016
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Solar System Science with the ALMA
Mark Gurwell
Harvard-SmithsonianCenter for Astrophysics
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
(alternate title for cosmologists)(alternate title for cosmologists)
The Really Really ReallyReally Really Really Really
Low Z Universe with the ALMA
Mark Gurwell
Harvard-SmithsonianCenter for Astrophysics
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
ALMA - What’s It Good For?ALMA - What’s It Good For?
We can use it to study pretty much everything out there:
Planetary and satellite atmospheres (DRSP Theme 4.1)
Solid surfaces of planets, rings, satellites, KBOs and other minor bodies (DRSP Theme 4.2)
Cometary comae and nuclei (DRSP theme 4.3) ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Synergy/’the competition’Synergy/’the competition’
Need synergy with, to complement, and/or to exceed current and future
observatories, e.g.
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
SMA
IRAM JCMT
OVRO
(E)VLA
BI
MA
HST/NGST
MRO
ALMA Sensitivity I -Point Source Sensitivity in 60 s*
ALMA Sensitivity I -Point Source Sensitivity in 60 s*
Frequency(GHz)
90
230
345
650
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Continuum(mJy)
0.031
0.060
0.14
1.9
1 km s-1
(mJy)
5.1
6.1
11
120
Charon(mJy)
0.15
0.95
2.02
6.25
*From http://www.alma.nrao.edu/info/sensitivities/index.html
ALMA Sensitivity II-High Resolution
ALMA Sensitivity II-High Resolution
Thanks to Karl Menten for this plot!ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
D (AU)
0.3
1
5
10
30
50
100
25 mas(km)
5.4
18
91
181
544
907
1813
Before the DRSP details: What are we interested in? A non-exhaustive
list
Before the DRSP details: What are we interested in? A non-exhaustive
list
How are the denizens of the solar system alike? How are they different?
How do they ‘work’?
What evolution have they undergone?
Are there conditions for life elsewhere?
How unique is our solar system?ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Now, on to the Details…
4.1.1 Planetary Atmospheres - Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics
4.1.1 Planetary Atmospheres - Atmospheric Structure and Dynamics
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
SMA Mars CO 2-1 Map JCMT Venus Wind Measurement
ALMA will measure vertical thermal structure and directly characterize
winds on Mars and Venus on size scales of 100 km or less.
Courtesy Todd Clancy
4.1.2 Planetary Atmospheres - Mars 3D Water Cycle
4.1.2 Planetary Atmospheres - Mars 3D Water Cycle
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Clancy et al 1990
VLA 22 GHz Water Map OVRO 226 GHz HDO Map
ALMA can match HST resolution with sensitivity to mm/sub mm transitions to
study atmospheric temperature and water distribution in 3D
4.1.3 Planetary Atmospheres -Chemistry and Trace Species
Detection
4.1.3 Planetary Atmospheres -Chemistry and Trace Species
Detection
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
JCMT data, Courtesy Todd Clancy
ALMA will have sensitivity and spatial resolution to seek, find, and map the
distribution of trace atmospheric species on Mars, Venus and other planets
4.1.5 Planetary Atmospheres -Tropospheres of Giant Planets4.1.5 Planetary Atmospheres -Tropospheres of Giant Planets
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
(top) Phosphine 3-2 on Jupiter (CSO FTS, Weisstein and Serabyn)
(left) 3.6 cm tropospheric emission during SL/9 impact (Grossman et al.)
ALMA’s continuum sensitivity (8 GHz bandwidth) will allow detection of thermal gradients,
belt/zone structure and very broadabsorption lines from giant planet tropospheres
4.1.6 Planetary Atmospheres - Titan’s Atmospheric Chemistry/Dynamics
4.1.6 Planetary Atmospheres - Titan’s Atmospheric Chemistry/Dynamics
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
SMA 850 micron unresolved observations
Titan is cool! And with ALMA we will be able to studyits atmosphere with unprecedented detail, including direct
measure of winds and 3D structure of temperature and molecular abundances on scales of a few hundred km
OVRO 1.2 mm low res maps of nitriles
Gurwell (2004)
4.1.7 and 4.2.3 Planetary Atmospheres and
Surfaces - Io’s Volcanism
4.1.7 and 4.2.3 Planetary Atmospheres and
Surfaces - Io’s Volcanism
ALMA can map thermal emission from the surface showing location and
temperature of hot spots, and can map molecules in volcanic plumes
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Galileo images courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Io: 3630 km diameter= 1” at 5 AU
500 km plume = 140 mas
4.2.2 and 4.2.5 Planetary Surfaces -Mapping Mercury and Asteroids
4.2.2 and 4.2.5 Planetary Surfaces -Mapping Mercury and Asteroids
ALMA will map temperature in the upper centimeter of the surfaces of terrestrial
planets, moons, and minor bodies, providing understanding of surface
material characteristics ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
VLA image courtesy Bryan Butler SMT data courtesy Amy Lovell
4.2.1 and 4.2.3 Planetary Surfaces - Mapping Pluto and Charon
4.2.1 and 4.2.3 Planetary Surfaces - Mapping Pluto and Charon
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Pluto is 100 mas and Charon is 50 mas at current
distance from sun.
ALMA will map the thermal emission from Pluto and Charon with up to 40
resolution elements, measuring temperature and/or emissivity
variations that may change with time
4.2.x Planetary Surfaces - Sizes, Temperatures, and Albedos of
Distant Bodies
4.2.x Planetary Surfaces - Sizes, Temperatures, and Albedos of
Distant Bodies
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
ALMA will measure the temperatures of numerous
KBOs in a matter of
minutes, and modestly
resolve the largest objects
in the outer solar Kuiper
Belt (and beyond?!)
Shamelessly taken from Mike Brown’s website
4.3 Comets 4.3 Comets
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Blake et al 2000 (OVRO)
Hale-Bopp
ALMA will study the molecular gas streaming from comets with great detail, informing our
understanding of comet composition and coma chemistry
4.3 Comets II4.3 Comets II
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
SMA observations by Qi et al
Beyond…Beyond…
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
More shameless pilfering by moi from Mike Brown!
4.4 Extrasolar Planets4.4 Extrasolar Planets
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Alpha centauri unitAlpha centauri unit
It’s the same guy! Coincidence? Hmmm…
What if…
Special thanks to David Wilner as cocreator of L&O: ACU
4.1.1 Extrasolar Planets - Direct Detection
of Jupiters around Nearby Stars I
4.1.1 Extrasolar Planets - Direct Detection
of Jupiters around Nearby Stars I
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
1600 K
800 K
400 K
Jupiter
Saturn
4.1.1 Extrasolar Planets - Direct Detection
of Jupiters around Nearby Stars II
4.1.1 Extrasolar Planets - Direct Detection
of Jupiters around Nearby Stars II
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
1600 K
800 K
400 K
JupiterSaturn
And even further beyond…And even further beyond…
Ahh, but Neal covered this earlier…
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Courtesy David Wilner
Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks
Important Considerations:
High Fidelity Imaging
Imaging Scales from 10mas to degrees
Bandpass Fidelity Over Large Bandwidth
Long Baselines/High Resolution
1% Amplitude Calibration is Good
Tracking of ‘Fast’, and Close, Objects
Radar in the future?
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
Concluding RemarksConcluding Remarks
ALMA will be an incredibly sensitive instrument for continuum and line
observations of solar system objects. With resolution comparable to or
exceeding nearly all other observatories save robotic missions, it
will have a major impact in solar system studies
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004
AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements
Thanks to R. Todd Clancy, Amy Lovell, Karl Menten, Charlie Qi, Bryan Butler (without his knowledge, perhaps) and
David Wilner for valuable contributions to this presentation.
ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004