Overview
Hosted at the AO, the colloquium series invites the most prominent figures in Space and Atmospheric Sciences, Radio Astronomy and Planetary Sciences to present and discuss the latest in their fields. All colloquia will be streamed live. Following the presentations there will be a section of questions and answers so that we can have an open discussion with the community of AO scientists, users and friends. Navigate the colloquia content and join us to participate in the discussion of some of the most thrilling science topics nowadays.
The AO Colloquium Committee (AOCC) is formed by
- Jens Lautenbach (head of the committee) [jens.lautenbach@ucf.edu]
- Ben Perera [Benetge.Perera@ucf.edu]
- Sean Marshall [sean.marshall@ucf.edu]
- N. Pinilla-Alonso (AO Deputy Principal Scientist) [npinilla@ucf.edu]
Upcoming Events
Jul 27, 2021 1:30 PM (AST) NEXT-GENERATION PLANETARY RADAR
Dr. Joseph Lazio
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Mailing List
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2021
Date Name Affiliation Title Abstract 27 Jul 2021 Dr. Joseph Lazio NASA Jep Propulsion Laboratory NEXT-GENERATION PLANETARY RADAR ↳ View Bio, Abstract & Recordings Bio
Dr. Joseph LazioAffiliation: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
About the Speaker.
Joseph Lazio is the Directorate Scientist of the Interplanetary Network Directorate at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. He is a former summer student at the Arecibo Observatory, after which he received his Ph.D. from Cornell University, was a National Research Council Research Associate at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, and was a Radio Astronomer on the staff of the Naval Research Laboratory, before joining JPL. He has served as Project Scientist for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA); the Deputy Director of the Lunar University Network for Astrophysics Research (LUNAR), part of the NASA Lunar Science Institute; and the Project Scientist for the U.S. Virtual Astronomical Observatory. He is the Project Scientist for the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) mission. He also observes routinely with the world's premier ground-based radio telescopes, including the Expanded Very Large Array, the Very Long Baseline Array, and the Green Bank Telescope.
NEXT-GENERATION PLANETARY RADAR
27 Jul 2021
Abstract
Planetary radar observations have a laudable history of "firsts" including the determination of the astronomical unit at the precision sufficient for interplanetary navigation, the distribution of water at the south pole of the Moon, indications of water ice in the permanently shadowed regions at the poles of Mercury, polar ice and anomalous surface features on Mars, indications that the asteroid (16) Psyche is an exposed metallic core of a planetoid, establishing the icy nature of the Jovian satellites, and the initial characterizations of Titan's surface. In many cases, these discoveries by planetary radar systems have motivated missions or radar instruments on missions. Further, the discovery of interstellar objects may present new radar targets for bridging Planetary Science and Astrophysics. As the community surveys the field during the Planetary Science & Astrobiology Decadal Survey, it is appropriate to consider the future of planetary radar. I argue that arrays of antennas, phased together, are now feasible and represent a next technological step to enable future scientific discoveries.
Dr. Lazio's talk recorded on Juyl 27, 2021
Date Name Affiliation Title Abstract 20 Apr 2021 Dr. Desiree Cotto-Figueroa University of Puerto Rico at Humacao ON THE STRENGTH OF METEORITES: IMPLICATIONS FOR NEO HAZARD MITIGATION ↳ View Bio, Abstract & Recordings Bio
Dr. Desiree Cotto-FigueroaAffiliation: University of Puerto Rico at Humacao
About the Speaker.
Dr. Cotto-Figueroa is an Associate Professor of the Department of Physics and Electronics at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao and the Coordinator of the UPR Humacao Astronomical Observatory. She holds a Ph.D. degree in Physics from Ohio University and worked as an Associate Postdoctoral Researcher at the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on the study of Near-Earth Asteroids including the characterization of their rotation rate distribution, the study of radiation recoil effects on their dynamical evolution, and the study of their fragmentation. Asteroid (11456) Cotto-Figueroa has been named in her honor."
ON THE STRENGTH OF METEORITES: IMPLICATIONS FOR NEO HAZARD MITIGATION
20 Apr 2021
Abstract
The near-Earth objects (NEOs) represent a global hazard to human civilization. As a result of the possible devastating consequences of NEO impacts, Congress tasked NASA with finding 90% of all asteroids >140 meters. Although it is of vital importance to detect these objects, it is also necessary to characterize them and understand their fragmentation processes, which depend upon scale. What connects these scales of asteroid strength, from centimeters to tens of meters or more, is the well-known Weibull theory that small samples of a rock are stronger than the whole. This leads to a statistical understanding of size-dependent strength that has been implemented in fragmentation and damage models. Our laboratory program undertakes repeated destructive measurements of representative meteorites typical of common asteroids in near Earth orbit. We have shown that the derived Weibull distribution projected to meter scales, overlaps the strengths determined from asteroidal airbursts and can be used to predict properties up to the 100-m scale. Understanding how mechanical properties scale with size will allow better predictions for the outcome of NEO airbursts, and rocks that spacecraft will encounter on asteroid surfaces, and ultimately to the deflection and disruption of NEOs.
Dr. Desiree Cotto talks about her upcoming colloquium at AO!
Dr. Cotto's talk recorded on Apr 20, 2021
28 Jan 2021 DR. P. K. MANOHARAN Arecibo Observatory, University of Central Florida SOLAR WIND STUDIES WITH THE ARECIBO TELESCOPE ↳ View Bio, Abstract & Recordings Bio
Dr. P. K. ManoharanAffiliation: Arecibo Observatory, University of Central Florida
About the Speaker.
Manoharan developed a unique method to determine the speed and other physical properties of the solar wind using interplanetary scintillation (IPS) measurements from a single radio telescope. He performs space weather studies with the Arecibo Telescope. His research interests include multi–wavelength studies of eruptive solar events, physical properties of solar wind, space weather events, turbulence, pulsars, radio astronomy techniques, etc.
SOLAR WIND STUDIES WITH ARECIBO TELESCOPE
17 Dec 2020
Abstract
I will review the significance of the interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations made with the Arecibo Telescope in the frequency range of ~300 to 3000 MHz. These observations have been made with the telescope time available during the current COVID-19 pandemic period and are extremely useful to characterize the properties of the quiet solar wind (i.e., at the minimum phase between solar cycles 24 and 25) and some weak solar wind transient events (e.g., coronal mass ejections and interacting streams) at sun-earth distances between ~10 and 200 solar radii. Present results emphasis the importance of IPS measurements with a highly sensitive Arecibo-like radio telescope in understanding: (i) properties of the solar wind in its acceleration region, (ii) evolution of solar wind in association with the source region on the Sun, and (iii) physical properties of earth-directed space weather events. Moreover, IPS studies suggest that the MHD simulation of propagation of coronal mass ejection (CME) along with the IPS data in the inner heliosphere can be useful to accurately predict the time of arrival of the CME at the near-Earth space.
Teaser interview w/ Dr. P.K. Manoharan
Jan 28, 2021: Recorded session w/ Dr. P.K. Manoharan
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2020