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NASA Postdoctoral Program Quarterly Update
Volume 3, Issue 3— April 2015
In This Issue:
Center Stage: JPL ........................................................................................... 2
Game Changers: SSERVI FINESSE Team ..................................................... 3
Modelling the Atmosphere of Early Earth, Continued.................................. 4
SSERVI FINESSE NPP Alumni, Continued.............................................. 5 & 6
Modeling the Atmosphere of Early Earth: Benjamin Charnay, NAI Fellow
Smog, the nuisance that plagues cities and wreaks havoc on human
health and the environment today, may have actually been an
important component in the survival of life on early Earth. The
possible existence of this highly stigmatized substance during
Earth’s youthful years, as well as its significance to early climate
and life, is what Benjamin Charnay, a NASA Postdoctoral Program
Fellow at the University of Washington, Seattle, hopes to better
understand.
Photochemical smog is the result of a process called photolysis, a
chemical reaction between chemical compounds and photons,
often from solar energy. This type of reaction is what allows plants
and cyanobacteria to produce diatomic oxygen (O2) from sunlight
and water, and is also responsible for the formation of the ozone
layer in the stratosphere, which protects us from harmful UV
radiation. On the other hand, photolysis contributes to the formation
of tropospheric ozone, a harmful component of smog.
Benjamin Charnay researches the use of
Charnay’s research focuses on the formation of organic haze General Circulation Models, or GCMs, to better
in the upper-level atmosphere of early-Earth, a result of
understand the atmospheric conditions
photolysis of the once methane-rich atmosphere to form
present on early Earth and the exoplanet
hydrocarbons. The resulting haze could have been very similar GJ1214b. (Photo courtesy of Benjamin
to that seen on Saturn’s moon Titan today.
Charnay)
“There is potential geological evidence for the presence of photochemical haze during early Earth,” Charnay
said. “The issue is that haze would have cooled the planet, which could have led to full glaciation and been
catastrophic for life. But the haze might have also protected primitive life from UV radiation in the absence of
an ozone layer at the time, which would have benefitted life.”
To understand all of the elements in play during the Earth’s early years, Charnay, who has a doctorate in
Planetary Science from the University Pierre and Marie Curie in France, researches ways to model the
atmosphere of early Earth using general circulation models, or GCMs.
A GCM uses foundational equations from the basic laws of physics and chemistry to compute atmospheric
motion and various other physical processes that affect weather and climate—such as the transfer of solar
energy or the formation of clouds—to simulate an atmosphere. By entering different equations, and therefore
manipulating the conditions of the simulation, researchers can evaluate the impact of shifting conditions,
such as climate change, but can also simulate atmospheric conditions from Earth’s past. (Continued page 4)
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NASA Postdoctoral Program Quarterly Update
Volume 3, Issue 3— April 2015
Center Stage: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
In a dry riverbed wash at the foot of the San Gabriel
Mountains—just far enough away from Pasadena’s
residential areas for the “Suicide Squad” to test their
occasionally explosive fuel mixtures and rocket motor
designs—the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) was born.
JPL’s complex history began in the 1930s with the
liquid rocket experiments conducted in association
with Caltech's Guggenheim Graduate School of
Aeronautics. The “Suicide Squad” consisted of
graduate students and non-students alike: Theodore
von Karman, Frank Malina, John Whiteside Parsons,
Edward Forman and others. They established the
modest beginnings from which the JPL would
eventually take form.
Interestingly, despite its name, air breathing jet
engines have never been the focus at JPL. According to
von Karman, rockets at that time were considered
science fiction, so they started referring to their work
as "jets”—alluding to the jet-assisted booster rockets
designed to assist heavily laden aircraft on short
runways. The allusion stuck.
In addition to their work on jet-assisted takeoff, the
Caltech group also worked with the U.S. Army Air Corps
to develop short range ballistic missiles for WWII. This
resulted in a series of progressively sophisticated
rockets, which the group respectively named Private,
Corporal, and Sergeant.
In 1957 and 1958, dual Navy and Army-JPL proposals
competed to launch a scientific payload. In January
1958, several months after the launch of Sputnik 1
and immediately following the launch pad explosion of
the Navy's Vanguard, JPL quickly assembled and
launched Explorer 1, which radioed back information
relating to temperature, micrometeorites and radiation
environments, which were later to become known as
the Van Allen belts.
Later in 1958, JPL was transferred from the Army to
the newly created National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), and the 1958 success of
Explorer 1 became just the first on a list of continued
JPL missions in space exploration. JPL currently
conducts a range of solar system exploration, Earth
science, and space-based astronomy missions, as well
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory was officially named in
1944, almost 14 years before NASA was formed. It
was first funded by the U.S. Army to develop rocket
technology, but was transferred over to NASA in 1958.
(Photo courtesy of NASA)
as technology research and development. JPL
spacecraft have explored all of the solar system’s
planets, and the lab is responsible for all of the four
successful rovers sent to Mars.
Today, JPL is staffed and managed for the U.S.
government by the California Institute of Technology
(Caltech). This makes JPL employees unique among
NASA Centers in that they are not government
employees but are instead employed by Caltech.
In addition to telescopic facilities at Table Mountain,
JPL also manages the Goldstone Communications
Complex as part of the NASA Deep Space Network.
JPL currently hosts 45 NPP Fellows who conduct
research in planetary, earth, astrophysics and
technology. Postdoctoral scholars are a critical part of
JPL’s research community. They bring fresh ideas and
enthusiasm to JPL, and we are grateful for the
opportunity to have such talented individuals. We are
committed to providing the best possible experience to
our postdocs.
Rowena Kloepfer
JPL NPP Center Representative
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NASA Postdoctoral Program Quarterly Update
Volume 3, Issue 3 — April 2015
Game Changers: SSERVI FINESSE Team NPP Alumni
The rocks of the Earth, Moon, and asteroids likely seem
dramatically different to the casual observer, but to a
planetary geologist, the Earth—green, warm and
habitable—may just be the next best thing when it
comes to studying the bare, cold and lifeless features
of the Moon and asteroids.
This unusual comparison is what has led scientists of
the Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science
and Exploration (FINESSE) team to the barren volcanic
fields of Craters of the Moon National Monument in
Idaho.
“Nearly every type of lunar volcanic feature is
represented at Craters of the Moon and immediate
surroundings,” said Dr. Jennifer Heldmann, NPP
alumnus and PI of the FINESSE team.
Like most planetary bodies, including the Earth, the
Moon and asteroids have been subject to the
dominating forces of volcanism and celestial impacts.
Volcanic fields and impact structures here on Earth
serve as geologic analogues to the target bodies
studied by FINESSE—the Moon, near-Earth asteroids or
NEAs, and Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars.
The FINESSE team is funded through a grant from
NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual
Institute (SSERVI), formerly the NASA Lunar Science
Institute (NLSI), which is based at Ames Research
Center (ARC) in California.
Heldmann and the rest of the FINESSE research team
were awarded a five-year grant through SSERVI to
conduct field-exploration science at Craters of the
Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho and
at the West Clearwater Lake Impact Structure in
northern Canada. These sites represent unique
opportunities on Earth to gain knowledge on the
formation and evolution of volcanic landforms and to
view the three-dimensional structure and geology of
impact craters. They therefore serve as first-hand
equivalents for improved understanding of lunar and
asteroid surficial geology, and also allow the evaluation
of proposed future human-robotic exploration of these
target bodies. These opportunities are the two primary
objectives of the FINESSE team.
“The goal of FINESSE volcanic studies,” explained
Heldmann, “is not just to understand the formation of
certain volcanic features on the Moon, but also to
Landscapes such as this pahoehoe lava flow at
Craters of the Moon National Monument and
Preserve in Idaho provide FINESSE team scientists
with a unique opportunity to study Earth analogs to
the surficial geology of moons and asteroids. (Photo
courtesy of NPS)
assess how we can best explore these features with
robotic and human assets on the surface.”
The objective is to document volcanic and impact
features within the limitations of current planetary
exploration technologies. This will help researchers
evaluate current proposals for human-robotic missions
to the SSERVI target bodies.
“In our field studies at Craters of the Moon,” said
FINESSE member Dr. Catherine Neish, also an NPP
alumnus, “we are learning the importance of
understanding surface roughness before sending
rovers or humans out to explore new terrains.”
(Continued on pages 5 & 6)
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NASA Postdoctoral Program Quarterly Update
Volume 3, Issue 3— April 2015
Modeling the Atmosphere of Early Earth: Benjamin Charnay, NAI (Cont.)
(Continued from page 1)
“A GCM is really a planet simulator,” Charnay
explained. “Our goal is to develop a universal model
able to simulate any kind of atmosphere around any
planet. So, we need a very robust and flexible model
that will work for conditions that can be very different
from those on present-day Earth.”
Charnay and his colleagues hope that their 3D GCM
will unravel the mystery of early Earth’s atmosphere by
simulating the formation of organic haze and its
climatic impact.
“We don’t know if the cooling of the planet by haze
would really be important or not because of all the
different climate couplings and feedbacks,” Charnay
explained. “Only a 3D GCM can give a clear answer to
this question.”
In addition to modeling the atmosphere of early Earth,
Charnay’s research also focuses on the clouds and
haze that are estimated to be quite common in
exoplanetary atmospheres. His primary object of
research is the exoplanet GJ1214b, a super-Earth, or
planet with a mass greater than that of the Earth, but
significantly less than that of the gaseous planets
Uranus or Neptune.
The atmosphere of early Earth may have had a
composition and chemistry quite similar to that of
Saturn’s moon Titan, which consists largely of
nitrogen, methane and a thick outer layer of
photochemical haze, or smog. (Photo courtesy of
National Geographic News)
efforts to detect evidence of life.
“Clouds and haze are very common in exoplanetary
atmospheres, and they impact our ability to detect a
biosignature,” Charnay said. “It is therefore necessary
to characterize them and understand how they impact
An exoplanet is a planet that orbits a star other than
observational spectra. This may allow us to determine
the sun. Over 1800 exoplanets have been discovered,
the best wavelength for seeing through the clouds.”
and a majority of these have been identified within our
Charnay hopes that he can continue work with
own Milky Way Galaxy. Exoplanets have become
increasingly important to planetary scientists because exoplanets long after his NASA postdoctoral research.
many of them are known to exist in the “habitable
zone,” or “Goldilocks zone,” which is at just the right
distance from a star to not be too hot or cold, and to
have the right amount of atmospheric pressure to
support liquid water. In other words, exoplanets
represent a great possibility to discover life on another
planet.
“The number of discovered exoplanets grows
exponentially,” Charnay said. “We have already
identified more than one thousand, and with the GAIA
mission—launched in 2013—we will discover
thousands more in the next four years!”
“It is really crazy how fast the field of exoplanet
research has evolved, both in terms of discoveries and
in understanding,” Charnay said. “In 10 years,
amazing new space technologies will have been
launched to observe exoplanets, such as TESS and
PLATO. I would love to still work as a researcher or
professor in this area during this time of many
discoveries.”
Charnay’s advisor is Dr. Victoria Meadows of the NAI
Virtual Planetary Laboratory (NAI-VPL) at the University
of Washington. His co-advisor is Dr. David Catling. The
NAI-VPL is funded by a five-year CAN-6 Cooperative
Agreement through the NAI, which currently funds 12
Charnay hopes that a 3D GCM will help him and his
colleagues to better characterize the atmospheres of teams at universities and NASA centers across the
GJ1214b and other exoplanets, and therefore improve country.
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NASA Postdoctoral Program Quarterly Update
Volume 3, Issue 3— April 2015
Game Changers: SSERVI FINESSE Team NPP Alumni, Cont.
(Continued from page 3)
In addition to its primary objectives, the FINESSE team
also provides opportunities for education and outreach
through NASA’s Spaceward Bound Program, which is
supported by the Idaho Space Grant Consortium at
Craters of the Moon, and through undergraduate and
graduate research programs, including the NASA
Postdoctoral Program (NPP) administered by ORAU. The
Spaceward Bound program is designed to train students
and teachers in exploration and settlement of the often
harsh environments of space using similar landscapes
here on Earth.
“The teachers are useful contributors to the scientific
program,” said Heldmann, “and they also help
researchers to remember why this research is so
important to students and the next generation of
explorers.”
Brent Garry (FINESSE team geologist) explains to
Jeff Karlin (Spaceward Bound participant teacher)
how to use LIDAR at the Highway Flow of Craters of
the Moon National Monument and Preserve. (Photo
courtesy of Scott Hughes)
In January 2015, the FINESSE team advertised a NPP research opportunity to assist the SSERVI funded team
with research at Craters of the Moon. The next NPP application deadline is July 1st. Currently, these four NPP
alumni serve on the FINESSE team:
Dr. Jennifer Heldmann (Ames NPP
Fellow 2003–2006), FINESSE team
PI, currently serves as a Research
Scientist for the Division of Space
Science and Astrobiology at NASA
Ames Research Center. Much of her
research uses Mars and moon-analog
environments on Earth to better
understand the geomorphology and
habitability of planetary bodies. She
recently served as Observation
Campaign Coordinator for NASA’s
Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission, which
confirmed the presence of water ice and other important volatiles in the
Cabeus craters at the Moon’s South Pole. She is also largely involved in
the optimization of human-robotic exploration strategies. Recent projects
include the ISRU Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen Lunar
Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE) field test (2012) and the Mojave Volatiles
Prospector (MVP) field program (2013–2014). Heldmann currently
serves as an advisor in the NPP at Ames.
By the Numbers
Fellows in Residence
as of today,
April 30, 2015
209
“The NPP provides a fantastic opportunity for researchers to not only
conduct research and publish papers, but also to provide the foundation
for their future career. My postdoc position was integral to helping me
establish my career as a planetary science researcher.” - Dr. Jennifer
Heldman (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Heldmann)
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NASA Postdoctoral Program Quarterly Update
Volume 3, Issue 3— April 2015
Game Changers: SSERVI FINESSE Team NPP Alumni, Cont.
Dr. Darlene Lim
(Ames NPP Fellow
2004–2007),
FINESSE team
Deputy PI, is a
Research Scientist
and Principal
Investigator with
the Bay Area
Environmental
Research Institute
(BAERI) based at
the NASA Ames
Research Center.
Lim is also the PI
for the Pavilion
Lake Research
Project (PLRP),
which she founded
in 2004. Lim’s research focuses on the development of
ConOps for human exploration of the solar system. Lim
is currently MEPAG Goal IV (Prepare for Human
Exploration) Co-Chair and founder of the Haven House
Family Shelter Explorers Speakers Series, which allows
scientists to teach STEM subjects to homeless children
in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lim was selected to
Wired Magazine’s Smart List in December 2013, and
was awarded a NASA Ames Honor Award for Contractor
achievement in 2012. She was recently awarded the
2014 NASA Honor Award for Group Achievement for the
PLRP and in November 2014 was named to NOAA’s
Ocean Exploration Advisory Board.
Dr. Catherine Neish (Goddard NPP Fellow 2012–
2013), FINESSE member, is currently an assistant
professor of Physics and Space Sciences at the
Florida Institute of Technology but has plans to
move to the University of Western Ontario in
Summer 2015. Neish was granted the Ron Greeley
Early Career Award in Planetary Science from the
AGU in 2014 and is currently funded by a grant
from NASA’s Outer Planets Research Program.
“The great value of the NPP program is the
flexibility it offers, and the opportunity to work
alongside experts in your field, learning from them
and forming lifelong collaborations.”
- Dr. Catherine Neish
Dr. Noah Petro (Goddard NPP Fellow 2007–
2009), FINESSE member, currently serves as a
Research Scientist at the NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center, a position he accepted after his NPP
research there in 2009. Petro currently serves as
Deputy Project Scientist for the Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission and was
awarded the NASA Early Career Achievement
Award in 2012. He currently serves as an advisor
in the NPP at Goddard.
“The NPP gave me an opportunity to work at a
NASA Center and get exposed to what is done
here. During my NPP I was able to build
collaborations with other scientists here and
develop as a scientist.” - Dr. Noah Petro
“I wanted to have a career that blended science and exploration, and my NPP position at NASA Ames was
really the launch pad for the research experiences that I’ve been so fortunate to garner over the past
decade.” - Dr. Darlene Lim (Photo courtesy Henry Bortman)
Purpose of the Program
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) supports NASA’s goals to expand
scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.
Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one-tothree-year Fellowship appointments that advance NASA’s missions in earth
science, heliophysics, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and
space operations, and astrobiology. As a result, NPP Fellows contribute to
national priorities for scientific exploration; confirm NASA’s leadership in
fundamental research; and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the
national science community. For more information, visit our website or find us
on Facebook or Twitter.
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