9319120 Ortoleva A fully coupled reaction-transport-mechanical model and computer code will be developed to investigate the hydrous alteration of primitive Solar System bodies. Hypotheses regarding heating mechanisms and their effect on ice melting, fluid flow, compaction, and large-scale mineral zonation patterns will be tested. Finite element and finite difference numerical methods and adaptive grid techniques will be used to solve equations describing chemical reaction and transport, fluid flow, heat transport by conduction and advection, chemical and mechanical compaction, and poroelastic and plastic deformation. These investigations are expected to contribute to an evolutionary history of alteration processes in asteroids resulting from the full coupling of physical and chemical processes; and to result in a computer code available for other researchers studying low temperature planetary alteration/differentiation processes.
