Radionuclides impact on KBO thermal evolution
Abstract
The study has been made of the radionuclides impact on the thermal evolution and structural stability of Kuiper Belt objects (KBO) during the process of their formation at the early stage of the solar system creation. The material of the forming spherically symmetric celestial body was assumed to be a two-component dendrite-type disperse system consisted of a cemented mass of hard dust particles and voids partially or fully filled with H2O ice. Radionuclides 26Al, 40K, 232Th, 238U as a part of the accretion material have also been assumed to be the main source of the growing body internal layers heating. The KBO thermal evolution has been studied with taking into account the energy release peculiarities of the nuclides radioactive decay as well as the dynamic change of the material physical properties determined by H2O phase transitions. The thermal and structural evolution during the formation time of some KBOs has been studied for different growth times, celestial body sizes, ice porous content and radionuclides age.
- Publication:
-
37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008cosp...37.2836S