Research Studies Awarded

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Five JPL researchers were recently named principal investigators for proposals selected for funding under NASA’s Definition and Development Program.

Mark Anderson of the 3538 Analytical Chemistry and Materials Development Group will lead a study on nano-chromatography, with a goal of developing a revolutionary new form of miniaturized liquid chromatography using atomic force microscope technology. Rapid nano-chromatography benefits a broad range of in-situ planetary missions that include Europa, Titan and Mars.

Robert Carlson of the Planetary Ices Group will lead “A Combined Infrared Interferometric Spectrometer for Compositional and Thermal Studies of Moons, Comets and Asteroids.” The study will assess how Fourier transform spectrometers can provide wider spectral coverage, such that an entire spectral region can be measured by one instrument with high sensitivity and imaging spectrometer capability.

Pin Chen of the Advanced Instrumentation and Spectroscopy Group will lead “Massively Parallel, Cavity-Enhanced, Laser Spectroscopy for Planetary and Lunar Exploration.” The study proposes to develop a powerful new tool for understanding the origin and evolution of the solar system and its habitability—as well as discovery of resources for future human explorers—by providing a miniature, low-cost and low-power instrument for in-situ measurements of trace-gas and stable-isotope compositions on planetary bodies and returned Martian, lunar and cometary samples.

Michael Hoenk of the Nano and Micro Systems Group will lead “Delta-Doped Electron Multiplying CCDs for Particle Imaging and Photon Counting,” which proposes to develop, test and validate the devices as a unique and enabling component technology for planetary and heliophysics missions and instruments. The proposed detectors will enable energy-resolved particle imaging and photon counting from the extreme ultraviolet through the near infrared.

Soon Sam Kim of the Analytical Chemistry and Materials Development Group will lead “Miniature Nuclear Magnetic Resonance for Planetary Iron-Nickel Mineralogy,” which proposes to develop a miniature, zerofield nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer that can characterize both iron- and nickel-bearing magnetic phase minerals without application of an external magnetic field. The unit can be deployed for Discovery-class asteroid lander missions as well as various New Frontiers missions and a Mars sample return mission.

JPL was also selected to lead a study for NASA’s Planetary Mission Data Analysis program.

James Bauer of the Asteroids, Comets and Satellites Group is principal investigator for “Archiving of the NEAT Database (1996–2007) for Scientific and Mission Support,” a study that proposes to archive Near-Earth Asteroid Tracking data in the Planetary Data System repository with all photometric calibrations to enable the planetary community to accomplish a wide array of investigations, including the study of outburst activity on comets and transitional objects; precovery investigations; and the study of the dynamical processes of near-Earth objects and Kuiper belt objects.