Assoc Prof. Andy Tomkins - Honours Projects

Investigating the Initial Size of an Obliterated Minor Planet using Ureilite Meteorites

Supervisor: Andy Tomkins
Field of study: Planetary Science
Preferred Program: Honours

Ureilites are the only group of meteorites to come from the mantle of a minor planet that has undergone comprehensive melting and core and crust formation. The ureilite parent body (UPB) was destroyed by catastrophic impact whilst it was still extremely hot. A long-standing question has been: What was the initial size of the UPB? This project aims to address this question using a combination of petrology based on meteorite thin sections, and thermal modelling using an existing code that we have recently developed.

For further information, contact Andy Tomkins