Work

Ab Initio Equation of State Data for Hydrogen, Helium, and Water and the Internal Structure of Jupiter

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: The equation of state of hydrogen, helium, and water affects interior structure models of giant planets significantly. We present a new equation of state data table, LM-REOS, generated by large-scale quantum molecular dynamics simulations for hydrogen, helium, and water in the warm dense matter regime, i.e., for megabar pressures and temperatures of several thousand kelvins, and by advanced chemical methods in the complementary regions. The influence of LM-REOS on the structure of Jupiter is investigated and compared with state-of-the-art results within a standard three-layer model consistent with astrophysical observations of Jupiter. Our new Jupiter models predict an important impact of mixing effects of helium in hydrogen with respect to an altered compressibility and immiscibility.

Source: The Astrophysical Journal

DOI: 10.1086/589806

Authors: Nadine Nettelmann, Bastian Holst, André Kietzmann, Martin French, Ronald Redmer, David Blaschke

Institutions: University of Rostock, University of Wrocław

Language: English

Topic: High-pressure geophysics and materials

Subfield: Geophysics

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Universität Rostock

Award: G5620122118