Harry Ballantyne, PhD

Harry Ballantyne, PhD

Computational Scientist | Physics PhD | Data Scientist

Publications

Sputnik Planitia as an impactor remnant indicative of an ancient rocky mascon in an oceanless Pluto

I used smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) impact simulations to demonstrate how foreign material from a giant impact can dominate large portions of icy dwarf planets like Pluto, potentially hiding significant reservoirs of dense, rocky material. This research provides new insights into the peculiar shape and location of the Sputnik Planitia region on Pluto, suggesting these features can be explained without a present-day subsurface ocean.

Recommended citation: Ballantyne, H.A. et al. (2024), "Sputnik Planitia as an impactor remnant indicative of an ancient rocky mascon in an oceanless Pluto." Nature Astronomy. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-024-02248-1

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Investigating the feasibility of an impact-induced Martian Dichotomy

I used smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) impact simulations to show that the traditional theory of a giant impact in Mars’ northern hemisphere forming the ‘Martian Dichotomy’ is unlikely, suggesting that a more plausible scenario involves an impact and localized magma ocean in the southern hemisphere resulting in a thicker crust in the south, with specific parameters for the impacting object and impact conditions provided.

Recommended citation: Ballantyne, H.A. et al. (2023), "Investigating the feasibility of an impact-induced Martian Dichotomy." Icarus, 392, p. 115395. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103522004870

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Long-term stability of planets in and around binary stars

I analysed the results of N-body simulations to explore the stability of planets in binary star systems and found that the fraction of binary systems capable of hosting stable planets is primarily determined by the stellar binary fraction, with dynamical encounters in star-forming regions having little impact on this stability.

Recommended citation: Ballantyne, H.A. et al. (2021), "Long-term stability of planets in and around binary stars ." MNRAS, 507(3), p. 4507-4520. https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article-abstract/507/3/4507/6354807

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