Global ETD Search
Search theses and dissertations gathered from participating repositories worldwide. Every result links back to the library that holds it. No account is needed.
Results
Showing 1 to 20 of 24 for “"The Sun and the Solar System"”.
-
Astrodynamics of the Next Generation Space Weather Prediction Mission
<p>Accurate prediction of the solar wind properties, interplanetary magnetic field direction and various space weather phenomena becomes ever more important as our dependence on Earth orbiting spacecraft increases. Different solar wind drivers can lead both to enhancements and losses of …
-
Effect of Chemistry on Electrodynamics in the Martian Dynamo Region
… between Mars remnant crustal magnetic fields and solar and planetary ions lead to time and space variations of the ionosphere. In this work, we continue the investigations started by Riousset et al. [2013] and address the effect of chemistry on ion populations in the dynamo region, where ion …
-
Proton Aurora at Mars: Assessing the Characteristics, Variability, and Driving Mechanisms of a Newly Discovered Phenomenon
<p>The purpose of this doctoral research dissertation is to develop a deeper understanding of the phenomenology, variability and driving processes of proton aurora at Mars. Proton aurora are the most recently discovered of the three types of Martian aurora. Due to Mars’ lack of a global dipole …
-
Case Studies of IMF Driven Auroral Emissions
<p>The topic of solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere coupling has become increasingly important in recent years, as it deals with the energy transfer from the Sun to the Earth. The solar wind plasma has direct entry into Earth's ionosphere at the polar cusp. At the cusp Earth's magnetic fields …
-
Exploring the Enstatite Chondrites: Modal Abundances, Metamorphic History, and Volatile Challenges
<p>This thesis investigates the formation conditions, thermal histories, and volatile inventories of enstatite chondrites (ECs). A diverse set of ECs is analyzed to capture the broad variability within this meteorite class. Chapter 1 presents a comparative analysis of mineral abundances using …
-
Growth and Survivability of Microorganisms at Martian Temperatures and Pressures
<p>The discovery of methane in the martian atmosphere via numerous ground- and space-based sources has prompted the study of methanogens as models for life on Mars. Methanogens are microorganisms within the domain Archaea, many of which utilize carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen to produce methane. …
-
A Comparison of Relict and Active Terrestrial Patterned Ground as an Analog for Mars
<p>Patterned ground is a ubiquitous landform in periglacial regions of Earth and is also present across the mid to high latitudes of Mars. The association of terrestrial patterned ground to the presence of subsurface water ice in the form of permafrost that develops a seasonal ‘wet’ active layer …
-
Role of Planetary Wave-Tide-Gravity Wave Interactions In Whole Atmosphere Coupling
<p>This dissertation investigates the mechanism by which the Earth's whole atmosphere couples from the bottom to the top, pole to pole. The work in this dissertation utilizes observational data and numerical simulations, with a particular emphasis on sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) events. The …
-
Understanding the Surface Induced Phosphorylation of Prebiotic Molecules by Schreibersite
<p>The study of the surface of a meteoritic mineral, schreibersite (Fe,Ni)<sub>3</sub>P, was investigated to provide insight into the role of the mineral’s surface in aqueous-phase phosphorylation reactions. The optimization of a custom-designed ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) apparatus and …
-
Rapid Orbit Refinement of Potential Near-Earth Objects and Recovery of Nearly Lost Asteroids
<p>The Minor Planet Center alerts researchers about potential discoveries of new Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) on their NEO Confirmation Page (NEOCP). Most of these are indeed previously unstudied objects, which must be studied very promptly while initial predictions of their motions are still …
-
An Investigation of Metal Sulfides as the Source of the Low Emissivity Anomaly on the Highlands of Venus
<p>Since its detection in the 1960s the source of the unusual radar emissivity signal seen on several highlands on Venus has long eluded researchers. Researchers have determined that a mineral with a high dielectric constant could explain the signal. Using a Venus simulation chamber, we …
-
Infrared Spectra Analysis of Thermally Altered Iron Phyllosilicates and the Implications for Mars
… phyllosilicates, which may be present on Mars. The minerals, greenalite and hisingerite, are rich in iron-II and iron-III, respectively. Small samples (~0.40 grams) of each mineral were crushed and heated in a Lindberg Tube Oven for approximately twenty-four hours at temperatures selected to …
-
Streaming Instabilities in Class 0/I Disks
… form in protoplanetary disks, fragmentation and the radial drift of pebbles inhibit the growth of grains to planetesimals. To overcome these barriers, effective localized dust clumping on a short enough time scale is required. One promising solution to this problem is the streaming …
-
Design and Evaluation of a Fiber Optic Probe as a means of Subsurface Planetary Exploration
<p>The Optical Probe for Regolith Analysis (OPRA) is an instrumentation concept designed to provide spectroscopic analysis of the near subsurface of unconsolidated regolith on bodies such as moons, asteroids and planets. Below a chemically altered surface may lay the geological history in the form …
-
Kinetic Modeling of Ionospheric Outflows Observed by the VISIONS-1 Sounding Rocket
<p>Plasma escape from the high-latitude ionosphere (ion outflow) serves as a significant source of heavy plasma to magnetospheric plasma sheet and ring current regions. Outflows alter mass density and reconnection rates, hence global responses of the magnetosphere. The VISIONS-1 (VISualizing Ion …
-
Thermal Evolution of Moon
… three experiments were conducted using infrared systems deployed at White Mountain Research center, CA. The data was acquired for the whole month of August. Teams of 3-4 students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UC Santa Barbara were stationed at the research center for 2-3 days to operate the …
-
MMS Observations of the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability and Associated Ion Scale Waves
<p>The detailed mechanisms coupling the solar wind to Earth's magnetosphere are not yet fully understood. Solar wind plasma is heated non-adiabatically as it penetrates the magnetosphere, and this process must span scale sizes. Reconnection alone is not able to account for the observed heating; …
-
Bacterially-Mediated Formation of Rock Coatings in Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland: A Mineralogical and Micro-Environmental Analog for Mars
<p>The search for past or present life on Mars is, for now, limited to surface environments. An often neglected surface environment that could have served as an abode for life and could presently preserve evidence of that life is that of rock coatings. Rock coatings are mineral accretions on rock …
-
Exploring the Surface Liquid and Lake Regions of Titan with Laboratory Experimentation and Cassini Spacecraft Data
<p>The surface liquids and lake regions of Titan are studied utilizing three unique techniques, the results of which are reported in this dissertation. The development of a facility to simulate the surface conditions of Titan, and to conduct experiments on samples within that facility, brings an …
Page 1 of 2