Ph.D. Proposal

Ryota Nakano

(Advisor: Prof. Masatoshi Hirabayashi)

Decoding the evolution of small bodies: Structural, Thermophysical, and Dynamical Evolution in the Solar System 

Thursday, March 6 

12:00 p.m. 

Tech Tower 303 

Abstract 

Explorations of small bodies in the solar system––such as asteroids and comets––offer unique opportunities to study the remnants of the early solar system. These small bodies often challenge our expectations, revealing surprising findings that raise questions about planetary formation, evolution, and even the origins of life. The field of planetary science seeks to address these questions through interdisciplinary approaches, combining insights from astronomy, geology, chemistry, physics, and engineering to better understand the story of our solar system. This dissertation concerns the evolution of near-Earth asteroids, focusing on their structural, thermophysical, and dynamical evolutions to provide a more comprehensive view of their life cycle. Asteroids exhibit a remarkable diversity of shapes, reflecting their complex evolutionary pathways. This dissertation begins by exploring their structural condition through the development of a semi-analytical model based on granular physics. Then, a thermophysical model is developed to better characterize the thermal conditions of asteroids, a key factor giving rise to non-gravitational perturbations on their dynamics. The final part of the dissertation focuses on both gravitational and non-gravitational perturbations on binary asteroid systems, by developing a comprehensive model that accounts for their mutual dynamics and thermophysical interactions. 

Committee 

• Prof. Masatoshi Hirabayashi – School of Aerospace Engineering (advisor) 

• Prof. Christopher E. Carr – School of Aerospace Engineering 

• Prof. Gongjie Li – School of Physics