Ablation of Carbon Objects within the Jovian Atmosphere

Here, we study the ablation of carbonaceous materials as they enter Jupiter’s atmosphere using an ablation model that solves equations for the time evolution of velocity and mass. We consider spherical objects of various initial masses and velocities and calculate ablation rates for several choices of heat transfer/ablation coefficients. Predictions from the ablation model are compared to instrumental data obtained from the Galileo Atmospheric Probe. We establish that a heat transfer coefficient of 0.1 and ablation coefficient of 81.4 MJ/kg result in similar mass loss rates as those recorded by the Galileo Probe. Lastly, considering carbonaceous materials with an ablation coefficient as low as 45.6 MJ/kg still are in agreement with past ablation studies in a reasonable approximation of ablation rates for entries in the Jovian atmosphere (80%-100% mass loss). Therefore, such materials cannot be ruled out as viable candidates for future spacecraft heat shields. Work supported by US DOE under DE-SC0022554 and DE-SC0021338.



Keywords: Ablation; Carbon Heat Shield.