English

Thermal conductivity of porous aggregates

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics 2017-12-06 v1 Soft Condensed Matter

Abstract

Context.\mathit{Context.} The thermal conductivity of highly porous dust aggregates is a key parameter for many subjects in planetary science; however, it is not yet fully understood. Aims.\mathit{Aims.} In this study, we investigate the thermal conductivity of fluffy dust aggregates with filling factors of less than 10110^{-1}. Methods.\mathit{Methods.} We determine the temperature structure and heat flux of the porous dust aggregates calculated by NN-body simulations of static compression in the periodic boundary condition. Results.\mathit{Results.} We derive an empirical formula for the thermal conductivity through the solid network ksolk_{\rm sol} as a function of the filling factor of dust aggregates ϕ\phi. The results reveal that ksolk_{\rm sol} is approximately proportional to ϕ2{\phi}^{2}, and the thermal conductivity through the solid network is significantly lower than previously assumed. In light of these findings, we must reconsider the thermal histories of small planetary bodies.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1711.06268,
  title  = {Thermal conductivity of porous aggregates},
  author = {Sota Arakawa and Hidekazu Tanaka and Akimasa Kataoka and Taishi Nakamoto},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1711.06268},
  year   = {2017}
}

Comments

4 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics