WHAT S OUT THERE? UMD RESEARCHERS EXAMINE THE ORIGINS OF PLANETS AND OTHER MYSTERIES IN SPACE

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT No. 10 COLLEGE PARK, MD I m PACT profiles Office of the Vice President for Research 2133 Lee Building University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742-5121 Impact is published by the Office of the Vice President for Research and is mailed to members of the mid-atlantic research community and others who have an interest in the latest research at the University of Maryland. Your comments and feedback are welcome; please e-mail your comments to vpr@umd.edu or fax them to Anne Geronimo, executive editor, at 301.314.9569. If for any reason you would not like to receive this publication, contact us using the same information above. RESEARCH & EDUCATION spotlight An Opportunist Looking for Distant Planets Before coming to Maryland in 2011, astronomer Drake Deming spent 30 years at NASA Goddard using what he calls tricks in geometry to discover planets orbiting in other solar systems. Known as extrasolar planets, these celestial bodies are often so distant that they can t be seen by even by the most powerful of space telescopes. Deming pioneered a technique to identify extrasolar planets as they crossed the face of their host star. By observing the planet and star together, and then subtracting the light taken when the planet passes behind the star, he is able to characterize the IMPACT M planet s size and temperature and even glean information about its atmosphere. While I m trained as an astronomer, at heart I m really a mathematician and an opportunist, he says. If I see something that s interesting and difficult, I want to know more. m PUBLISHER Patrick O Shea Vice President for Research and Chief Research Officer EXECUTIVE EDITOR Anne Geronimo Director for Research Development MANAGING EDITOR Tom Ventsias CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER John T. Consoli A Closer Look into Deep Space UMD astronomer Sylvain Veilleux is at NASA Goddard designing and building a rapid-response infrared imager and spectrometer part of the high-powered Discovery Channel Telescope that is currently in operational testing. The telescope, a joint project between Discovery Communications and the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, will be used to conduct research on the physical properties of comets, the evolution and structure of small galaxies, and the masses of stars, among other topics. Veilleux s team is developing technology to target gamma ray bursts occurring in deep space. These bursts may signal the birth of a black hole or a neutron star, he says, and the imager will identify the bursts quickly, guiding the telescope to a precise location for a closer look via the spectrometer. m ART DIRECTOR AND DESIGNER Jeanette J. Nelson Tim Creech (on right) is working with NASA scientists to improve satellite computing platforms. Fellowships Place UMD Students at NASA Facilities Tim Creech wants the computers on NASA s next generation of satellites to operate fast really fast. A third-year doctoral student in electrical and computer engineering, Creech spent the summer of 2012 working with NASA scientists to develop software that could take advantage of new parallel computing platforms. It was empowering to me as a researcher that [NASA] was very open to using my ideas, says Creech, one of seven Maryland graduate students to receive a NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship. Other fellowship recipients from Maryland are working on projects that include improving fire safety aboard spacecraft, designing next-generation electronic systems and studying new aerodynamic shapes for vehicles entering the atmosphere of distant planets. These fellowships help us develop America s technology leaders of tomorrow and allow us to outinnovate, out-educate and out-build our competitors and maintain our leadership in space, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in announcing the first cohort of awards last year. Creech plans to use his fellowship to continue research during the summer of 2013 and beyond at NASA s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. m COVER ART Lynette Cook extrasolar.spaceart.org WHAT S OUT THERE? UMD RESEARCHERS EXAMINE THE ORIGINS OF PLANETS AND OTHER MYSTERIES IN SPACE Vol. 7 No. 1 Fall 2012

impact overview EXPLORING MYSTERIES IN SPACE HOW DID OUR SOLAR SYSTEM FORM? WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES OF EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE? IS THERE A HABITABLE PLANET IN THE UNIVERSE SIMILAR TO OUR OWN? Maryland researchers exploring these questions, and more, may soon have help in their scientific endeavors. University administrators have proposed establishing a center for planetary origins, bringing together astronomers, geologists, engineers and others to study the source, composition and evolution of planets and smaller celestial bodies like comets and asteroids. The planned interdisciplinary center would spur new research and educational opportunities on campus, officials say, while strengthening ties with dozens of planetary scientists at the nearby NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This is both timely and relevant, says Nicholas White, who leads the sciences and exploration directorate at NASA Goddard. With new advances in observational astronomy and analytical instrumentation, we re at the cusp of revolutionizing the way scientists understand the creation and evolution of planetary systems. Maryland has specific strengths that make it ideal for becoming a nexus for planetary science, says Jayanth Banavar, dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. These include robust research programs in astronomy, astrophysics, geochemistry and the life sciences and a strong engineering school to develop the innovative hardware and navigational tools needed for deep space missions. Banavar also expects interest and participation from faculty and students in meteorology, chemistry and public policy and even film studies majors wanting to document future space missions. We want the center to physically bring these people together, instead of collaboration by email or telephone, he says. New knowledge on the origin and evolution of planets will stimulate Maryland students and the public at large, says Roberta Rudnick, chair of geology. Look at the recent Mars Curiosity mission, she says. It really sparked an interest in young people, hopefully bringing them into the STEM (science technology, engineering and math) disciplines. A proposed collaborative center involving UMD researchers and NASA scientists could be a catalyst for new missions, says Maryland astronomer Jessica Sunshine, an expert in analyzing the composition of asteroids, meteorites and the moon. It would be a great opportunity for NASA Goddard to become even more active in deep space missions, she says. And we fully anticipate that Maryland faculty would have a lead role in some of those missions. Seed Grants Could Improve Mission Capabilities PLANETARY SCIENCE RESOURCES The University of Maryland has almost 250 active awards through NASA that total $200 million, making UMD the fourth-largest academic recipient of NASA funding. Part of this funding directly supports Maryland research in planetary science and astrophysics, including: A seed grant program between the A. James Clark School of Engineering and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is supporting research that could play a pivotal role in future planetary science missions. Seven projects related to NASA Goddard s priorities were funded, says Alison Flatau (above), associate dean for research in the Clark School. Two projects one to develop silicon-based nanoscale sensors to analyze deep space radiation; another in materials science properties for better protecting satellite hardware received additional funding from the university s Division of Research. UMD s close proximity to the space flight center is a big advantage, says Michael Johnson, chief technologist in the applied engineering and technology directorate at NASA. Maryland and Goddard researchers can easily meet face-toface, which makes a difference in the workflow, he says. A Joint Space-Science Institute, where UMD and NASA scientists study the strong gravity in black holes, highenergy astrophysics and astroparticle physics, cosmology and gravitational waves. Christopher Reynolds is the PI. A Space Systems Laboratory, where a neutral buoyancy tank can simulate a microgravity environment needed to test new tools and other equipment for future space missions. David Akin is the PI. The Deep Impact mission that in 2005 sent a projectile smashing into the heart of a speeding comet, allowing scientists investigate the comet s interior structure and composition. Data from Deep Impact and a subsequent mission named EPOXI are still being analyzed. Michael A Hearn is the PI. Analyzing Space Materials Three state-of-the-art laboratories that can analyze data and physical samples gathered by NASA satellites or surface rovers will play a large role in any proposed center for planetary origins. The labs, based in the Department of Geology, already draw in scientists and top graduate students from around the world. The Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory, led by Richard Walker, uses isotopic and trace element analysis to determine the chronology and chemical evolution of solar system materials like meteorites, lunar volcanic glasses and presolar grains. The Plasma Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, led by William McDonough, searches for chemical or geological markers in materials to better understand the origin and evolution of the Earth and other bodies in our solar system. The Stable Isotope Laboratory, led by James Farquhar, evaluates atmospheric conditions on Mars by analyzing materials from Martian meteorites.