ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004

ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004


Solar System Science with the ALMA

Mark Gurwell

Harvard-SmithsonianCenter for Astrophysics


(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 - 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.


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


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


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


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


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


(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


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


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


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 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


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


SMA observations by Qi et al

Beyond…Beyond…


More shameless pilfering by moi from Mike Brown!

4.4 Extrasolar Planets4.4 Extrasolar Planets


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


of Jupiters around Nearby Stars I


1600 K

800 K

400 K

Jupiter

Saturn


of Jupiters around Nearby Stars II


of Jupiters around Nearby Stars II


1600 K

800 K

400 K

JupiterSaturn

And even further beyond…And even further beyond…

Ahh, but Neal covered this earlier…


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?


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


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.


Documents

ALMA Science Workshop, May 2004