TexasScholarWorks
    • Login
    • Submit
    View Item 
    •   Repository Home
    • UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    • Repository Home
    • UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Simulating water vapor plumes on Europa

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    BERG-THESIS-2015.pdf (12.71Mb)
    Date
    2015-12
    Author
    Berg, Jared James
    Share
     Facebook
     Twitter
     LinkedIn
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    A computational investigation of water vapor plumes on the Jovian moon Europa was performed with a focus on characteristics relevant to observation and spacecraft mission operations. The Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method was implemented to model the plume expansion. The structure of the plume, including the number density, temperature, and velocity fields was determined. Integrated line of sight column densities of ~1018 H2O molecules/m2 were calculated and compared to observations. The possibility of grain condensation above the vent was considered, but determined to be negligible for the postulated vent size. However, preexisting grains of three diameters (0.1, 1, 50 μm) were included in the simulation and their trajectories examined. A preliminary study of photodissociation of H2O into OH was performed to demonstrate the behavior of daughter species. Different vent parameters were evaluated to determine their effects on the plume, including vent Mach number (Mach 2, 3, 5) and a reduced temperature “Cold” case that was a proxy for energy loss to the region surrounding the vent. Future research pathways are discussed, including higher mass flow cases, unsteady plumes, and accurate modeling of internal energy modes in photodissociation products.
    Department
    Aerospace Engineering
    Subject
    Europa
    Plume
    DSMC
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/2152/34041
    Collections
    • UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations

    University of Texas at Austin Libraries
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • youtube
    • CONTACT US
    • MAPS & DIRECTIONS
    • JOB OPPORTUNITIES
    • UT Austin Home
    • Emergency Information
    • Site Policies
    • Web Accessibility Policy
    • Web Privacy Policy
    • Adobe Reader
    Subscribe to our NewsletterGive to the Libraries

    © The University of Texas at Austin

     

     

    Browse

    Entire RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsDate IssuedAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDepartmentsThis CollectionDate IssuedAuthorsTitlesSubjectsDepartments

    My Account

    Login

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    Information

    About Contact Policies Getting Started Glossary Help FAQs

    University of Texas at Austin Libraries
    • facebook
    • twitter
    • instagram
    • youtube
    • CONTACT US
    • MAPS & DIRECTIONS
    • JOB OPPORTUNITIES
    • UT Austin Home
    • Emergency Information
    • Site Policies
    • Web Accessibility Policy
    • Web Privacy Policy
    • Adobe Reader
    Subscribe to our NewsletterGive to the Libraries

    © The University of Texas at Austin