The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $350,984 Project Grant under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) federal grant program to Arizona State University to conduct research on the reaction between H2-H2O fluid and silicate, and its implications for the interior composition and evolution of the giant planets Uranus and Neptune.
The key products and services to be delivered through this 2-year grant include systematically mapping fluid-silicate interactions across various pressure, temperature, and H2/(H2+H2O) ratio conditions, and coupling the experimental results with planetary interior evolution models. This research aims to provide a better understanding of the structure and composition below the gas envelopes of Uranus and Neptune, which have different hydrogen-helium compositions compared to Jupiter and Saturn. The findings will also benefit the exoplanet research community by advancing knowledge on the behavior of materials in sub-Neptune planetary environments.
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