| August 2010 | Scientific Staff Highlights Archive |
Scientific Staff Highlights
LPI Staff Selected as Participating Scientists for Dawn Spacecraft Mission
LPI staff scientists Dr. Paul Schenk and Dr. Walter Kiefer were selected as Participating Scientists for the Dawn Spacecraft Mission as it encounters the asteroid 4 Vesta. Dr. Schenk will contribute his expertise with deriving topography from stereo imagery, and in interpretation of that topography. Dr. Kiefer will contribute his experience with geophysical modeling of gravity and topography to understanding of Vesta’s internal structure. Visit the Dawn Spacecraft Mission website.LPI Scientist Walter Kiefer funded by NASA Lunar Science Program
LPI Staff Scientist Dr. Walter Kiefer has been funded as a co-Investigator on a grant proposal to NASA’s LASER Program (Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research). The proposal, titled “Density and Porosity of Lunar Materials,” is led by Dr. Dan Britt of the University of Central Florida. The densities and porosities of lunar rocks and soils are poorly known, but are absolutely critical to understanding the surface properties and interior structure of the Moon. Some of their preliminary results, with short description of this work and its importance are here: www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2010/pdf/1252.pdf.
Conclusion of LPI Lunar Exploration Intern Program, 2010
The LPI’s second annual Lunar Exploration Summer Intern Program finished on August 4, with presentations from the two research teams. Nine graduate and undergraduate students are working in teams to evaluate potential lunar landing sites and their benefits for science and development.
Conclusion of LPI Summer Science Intern Program, 2010
The LPI’s annual Summer Intern Program finished on August 13. Twelve undergraduate students presented the results of their research at a conference, modeled on the Institute’s LPSC presentations. The conference program and intern abstracts will soon be available at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lpiintern/abstracts/2010.pdf.
LPI Post-Doc Leads Field Study of Impact Craters
Dr. Teemu Öhman, a post-doctoral fellow, led a field course to impact craters in Finland. This course, designed for doctoral students, was part of the Nordic-Baltic Network on Impact Research short course "Impact cratering in the planetary system - cratering mechanisms and shock metamorphism". The course program is available at Universitetet I OSLO.
LPI Science Staff Research Progress – August 2010
Clifford S.M., J. Lasue, E. Heggy, J. Boisson, P. McGovern, and M. D. Max (2010), Depth of the Martian cryosphere: Revised estimates and implications for the existence and detection of subpermafrost groundwater, J. Geophys. Res., 115, E07001, doi:10.1029/2009JE003462
Galgana G., and Hamburger M. (2010). Geodetic observations of active intraplace crustal deformation in the Wabash Valley seismic zone and the Southern Illinois Basin. Seismological Research Letters 81, 699-714.
Öhman T., Aittola, Korteniemi, Kostama and Raitala. (2010) Polygonal impact craters in the solar system: Observations and implications. Large Impacts and Planetary Evolution IV (eds. R. L. Gibson & W. U. Reimold) Geological Society of America, Special Paper 465, p. 51-66.
Schmieder M., Schwarz W.H., Buchner E., Trieloff M., Moilanen J., and Öhman T. (2010) A Middle-Late Triassic 40Ar⁄39Ar age for the Paasselka¨ impact structure (SE Finland). Meteoritics and Planetary Science 45, in press.
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Scientific Staff Highlights Archive
Last updated March 29, 2011
