Planetary Groups in the South East of England
University of Kent, Canterbury
Four researchers, Prof. Mark Burchell, Prof. Stephen Lowry, Dr. Mark Price and Dr. Penny Wozniakiewicz, lead our planetary science research group which includes two postdoctoral researchers and five Ph.D. students and several national and international visiting researchers.
Our current research projects are in the areas of:
Our facilities include:
Light Gas Gun facility
Scanning electron microscopes (Hitachi S3400 SEM with EDX collection through Oxford Instruments Aztec software, Hitachi S4700 FEG-SEM with Bruker X-Flash Quad EDX detector)
Raman and FTIR spectroscopy (Horiba with 4 lasers: Infrared (780nm), Red (633 nm), Green (532 nm), Blue (473 nm)).
Observing facilities used by our group include the facilities at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla and Paranal, Chile), the Isaac Newtown Group of telescopes on La Palma (Spain), including the robotic Liverpool Telescope, and various other international facilities through on-going collaborations. We are also a member of the MiNDSTEp consortium (http://www.mindstep-science.org/about_us.html) with on-going access to the Danish telescope at La Silla Observatory, Chile.
You can follow our work and find contact information at http://astro.kent.ac.uk/~pjw1/Impact_Group/ and https://research.kent.ac.uk/caps/, on facebook (Kent Impact Group) and on Twitter (@KentImpactGroup)
Our current research projects are in the areas of:
- Study of hypervelocity impact related phenomena (e.g. crater morphology, secondary ejecta)
- Study of surfaces exposed to dusty impacts in low Earth orbit
- Analysis of samples returned by the Stardust and Hayabusa missions
- Collection and study of micrometeorites
- Study of interplanetary dust particles
- Study of the properties, formation and evolution of comets and asteroids through:
- Spacecraft and ground-based telescope observations of comets at optical and infrared wavelengths
- Planetary radar observations and shape/spin-state modelling of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs)
- Study of the thermal response of asteroid surfaces through direct observational detections and modelling of the YORP and Yarkovsky effects.
Our facilities include:
Light Gas Gun facility
Scanning electron microscopes (Hitachi S3400 SEM with EDX collection through Oxford Instruments Aztec software, Hitachi S4700 FEG-SEM with Bruker X-Flash Quad EDX detector)
Raman and FTIR spectroscopy (Horiba with 4 lasers: Infrared (780nm), Red (633 nm), Green (532 nm), Blue (473 nm)).
Observing facilities used by our group include the facilities at the European Southern Observatory (La Silla and Paranal, Chile), the Isaac Newtown Group of telescopes on La Palma (Spain), including the robotic Liverpool Telescope, and various other international facilities through on-going collaborations. We are also a member of the MiNDSTEp consortium (http://www.mindstep-science.org/about_us.html) with on-going access to the Danish telescope at La Silla Observatory, Chile.
You can follow our work and find contact information at http://astro.kent.ac.uk/~pjw1/Impact_Group/ and https://research.kent.ac.uk/caps/, on facebook (Kent Impact Group) and on Twitter (@KentImpactGroup)
The Open University, Milton Keynes
Planetary research at the OU spans the School of Physical Sciences and School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences. There are more than 15 academic staff leading activities across a wide range of topics, including solar system formation, planetary evolution, planetary surfaces and atmospheres, and astrobiology. Staff working in these areas currently include 15 research fellows and postdoctoral researchers, 10 project officers and technical staff and 20 full time PhD students.
We have a wide range of advanced laboratory facilities including geo-analytical instruments, planetary environment simulation facilities and microbiology labs. We are involved in many of the current and planned planetary missions, providing both scientific and major payload contributions, including NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) and OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return; ESA’s ExoMars TGO, ExoMars Rover missions and BepiColombo mission to Mercury; and ESA/Roscosmos LUNA 27 mission.
Current research projects include:
We have approximately 50 different research projects and studentships, focused primarily on these topics:
Our facilities include:
NanoSIMS, analytical electron microscope and microprobe, stable isotope facilities, Raman, uv-vis micro-spectrometer, GC-mass spectrometry, multi-geometry light gas gun, Van de Graaff accelerator, Mars, space and airless body environmental simulation chambers, Icy moon sub-surface ocean simulation facility, microbiology labs Ar-Ar dating.
You can follow our work and find contact information at:
Planetary Sciences at OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/science/physical-science/research/planetary-space-sciences
Space Instrumentation at OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/science/physical-science/research/space-instrumentation
Astrobiology at OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/research-groups/astrobiology/research
Dynamic Earth at OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/stem/environment-earth-ecosystem-sciences/research/dynamic-earth
On Twitter (@OU_SPS and @OU_EEE, and @PlanetEnviroOU)
We have a wide range of advanced laboratory facilities including geo-analytical instruments, planetary environment simulation facilities and microbiology labs. We are involved in many of the current and planned planetary missions, providing both scientific and major payload contributions, including NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (Curiosity Rover) and OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return; ESA’s ExoMars TGO, ExoMars Rover missions and BepiColombo mission to Mercury; and ESA/Roscosmos LUNA 27 mission.
Current research projects include:
We have approximately 50 different research projects and studentships, focused primarily on these topics:
- Operations of NOMAD and CaSSIS instruments on ESA ExoMars TGO mission
- Science exploitation of ESA ExoMars TGO and NASA MSL missions
- Preparations for ExoMars Rover and Mars Sample Return
- Environments and habitability of martian and other planetary surfaces and interiors
- Life in extreme environments and the bio- signatures for life on Mars and the icy moons
- Origin and evolution of volatiles on the Moon
- Developing planetary mapping with NASA Messenger data in preparation for ESA BepiColombo mission
- Exploitation of ESA Rosetta mission science
- Study of primitive and differentiated meteorites
- Study of primitive asteroid populations and surface thermal properties
Our facilities include:
NanoSIMS, analytical electron microscope and microprobe, stable isotope facilities, Raman, uv-vis micro-spectrometer, GC-mass spectrometry, multi-geometry light gas gun, Van de Graaff accelerator, Mars, space and airless body environmental simulation chambers, Icy moon sub-surface ocean simulation facility, microbiology labs Ar-Ar dating.
You can follow our work and find contact information at:
Planetary Sciences at OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/science/physical-science/research/planetary-space-sciences
Space Instrumentation at OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/science/physical-science/research/space-instrumentation
Astrobiology at OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/research-groups/astrobiology/research
Dynamic Earth at OU: http://www.open.ac.uk/stem/environment-earth-ecosystem-sciences/research/dynamic-earth
On Twitter (@OU_SPS and @OU_EEE, and @PlanetEnviroOU)
University of Oxford
Planetary science at Oxford is carried out by dozens of researchers distributed across Physics and Earth Sciences departments. The Atmospheric Oceanic and Planetary Physics sub-department (Profs. Pierrehumbert, Bowles, Irwin, Calcutt, Read, Parmentier etc) focusses on atmospheric processes but also spacecraft instrumentation and spectroscopy. The Astrophysics sub-department (Profs Aigrain, Terquem etc) includes research focussed on exoplanetary and planetary formation. Contacts in the Earth Sciences department includes evolution modelling, geochemistry, interior dynamics (Profs Porcelli, Mather, Tosca, Katz, Ballentine etc).
Our current research projects are in the areas of:
Our facilities include:
In Physics Department, facilities include planetary environment simulation facilities; space qualification facilities (vibration, thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, metrology); cleanrooms; calibration for IR remote sensing payloads (geometric, radiometric, spectral calibration); spectroscopic characterisation of surfaces and materials.
In Earth Sciences department, facilities include ICP-MS trace element analysis; multi-collector mass spectrometers, stable isotope analysis, scanning electron microscopy.
Observing facilities used by our group include the NASA IRTF, Gemini, HST, the European Southern Observatory (La Silla and Paranal, Chile), and various other international facilities through on-going collaborations.
You can follow our work and find contact information at https://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/research/planetary-science, https://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/, and https://users.physics.ox.ac.uk/~pierrehumbert/OxfordPlanets/
Our current research projects are in the areas of:
- Infrared radiometers and spectrometers for planetary spacecraft
- Meteorological instrumentation for planetary landers
- Planetary seismometers (e.g. Mars Insight)
- Laboratory spectroscopy of gases and surface materials of planets, moons and asteroids
- Radiative transfer analysis of spacecraft and ground-based observations of planets and exoplanets
- General circulation modelling of planetary and exoplanetary atmospheres
- Modelling of the evolution of planetary & exoplanetary atmospheres
- Modelling the origin and evolution of Earth & terrestrial planets, constrained through isotope geochemistry
- Measurement of rock rheology with relevance to planetary mantle convection
- Sedimentary geological analyses to understand history of water on Mars
- Development of future space missions for planetary science
Our facilities include:
In Physics Department, facilities include planetary environment simulation facilities; space qualification facilities (vibration, thermal vacuum, thermal cycling, metrology); cleanrooms; calibration for IR remote sensing payloads (geometric, radiometric, spectral calibration); spectroscopic characterisation of surfaces and materials.
In Earth Sciences department, facilities include ICP-MS trace element analysis; multi-collector mass spectrometers, stable isotope analysis, scanning electron microscopy.
Observing facilities used by our group include the NASA IRTF, Gemini, HST, the European Southern Observatory (La Silla and Paranal, Chile), and various other international facilities through on-going collaborations.
You can follow our work and find contact information at https://www2.physics.ox.ac.uk/research/planetary-science, https://www.earth.ox.ac.uk/, and https://users.physics.ox.ac.uk/~pierrehumbert/OxfordPlanets/
University of Southampton
Planetary Science at Southampton is based in the Department of Physics and Astronomy where we study planetary magnetospheres including Earth, Mercury, Saturn and Jupiter. We work with data from orbiting spacecraft including Cassini, MESSENGER, MMS and Juno, and also have strong heritage in ground-based auroral imaging, including our own instruments (ASK and HiTIES) in the high Arctic.
More information can be found at http://space.soton.ac.uk/
More information can be found at http://space.soton.ac.uk/