The Sun and the Solar System Commons^™

A Spectrum Of Light: Speculative Poetry Of Celestial Bodies And Astrophysics, Shannon Sosebee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a collection of speculative poetry with a focus on celestial objects within our solar system and larger bodies outside of our solar system, some of which are only theorized to exist. The author finishes the collection with introspective works, laying bare vulnerabilities and insecurities.

Statistical Methods For Interpreting Spatial And Temporal Heterogeneity Of Martian Tropical Water Ice Informed By Properties Of Crater Ejecta Types, Jamie D. Riggs, Michelle R. Kirchoff

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

The martian tropical water ice spatial and temporal distribution was characterized using impact crater ejecta type, location, size, and age in one of two epochs, (Formula presented.) Ga and (Formula presented.) Ga, using statistical models designed for spatial and temporal correlation structures. The indicator thought to identify the presence of ice is craters with layered ejecta, while the indicator thought to identify no ice is craters with radial ejecta. These indicators imply the location (longitude and latitude) and, potentially, depth (crater diameter as a proxy) of ice, and when the ice was present. The spatial and temporal distribution of layered …

Exploring The Early Solar System: Cometary Chemical Fingerprints: A Study Of Comet C/2022 E3 (Ztf) Via Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Grace Puchalski

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Comets are small, icy remnants from the solar system formation (4.5 billion years ago). Their interior composition should reflect the composition and conditions presented in the mid-plane of the protoplanetary region where (and when) they formed. These small objects predominantly reside in two major reservoirs, the Oort cloud and the Kuiper belt. Comets coming from the Oort cloud have long orbital periods while comets from the Kuiper belt have short orbital periods (< 200 years). An overarching goal in astronomy is to understand the conditions presented in the planetary region in the early solar system. Since comets lack a known mechanism of self internal heating, any processes that have changed their composition should only affect a few meters deep, which is believed to be excavated over a course of a perihelion passage into the inner parts of the solar system. As comets get closer to the Sun, solar irradiation causes their ices to sublime, leaving a formation of a freely expanding atmosphere (coma). Depending on the science interest, astrophysicists use different techniques for data collection, a common one being spectroscopy. Using iSHELL spectrograph at the NASA-Near-Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), we examine the primary chemical composition (e.g., H2O, CO, CH4, C2H6, C2H2, H2CO, NH3, CH3OH, OCS, and OH) of cometary coma in bright comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). Our preliminary results indicate the H2O production rate of ~3.4E28 (molecules per second), which corresponds to the rotational temperature of 86 (K). Cometary atmospheres are dense enough that molecules in the inner coma are thermalized by collision (Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium), thus 86 (K) is a physical parameter of coma. We compared the production of the rest of species with that of water (in %) and our results indicated that comet E3 was typical (close to average) in mixing ratios of all volatile species. By mapping the intensity of light with distance from the nucleus,we were able to examine the spatial distribution of volatiles and dust in E3’s coma which were consistent with production directly from the nucleus.

From Stars To Moons: Investigating Stellar Rotations, Planetary Interactions, And Exoplanetary Prospects, Rosario Cecilio-Flores-Elie

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The thesis is divided into two key sections. The first chapter presents the results of analyzing TESS light curves for 99 targets within the Carina-Near moving group. By deriving rotational periods, this analysis supports stellar age estimation, contributing to the broader efforts of the Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 citizen project in determining age parameters for 89 newly identified systems, including ultracool dwarf companions. These findings enhance our understanding of stellar rotation and evolution, offering new insights into the development of secondary co-moving objects like brown dwarfs.

The second chapter investigates planet-moon interactions within our solar system by examining mass ratios, …

Role Of Planetary Wave-Tide-Gravity Wave Interactions In Whole Atmosphere Coupling, Zishun Qiao

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

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 development of a new multi-static meteor radar at 30ºS, named Chilean Observation Network De MeteOr Radars (CONDOR), provides a key dataset for the present studies. Wind validation of this new radar system is performed across different sites and compared to a co-located sodium lidar. Wave-wave interactions in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) that may be responsible …

Space Radiation Assessment And Mitigation: Meeting The Growing Demand For Shielding Solutions By Enhancing Models And Exploring Novel Shielding Opportunities, M. Laura Sorgi Johann

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The rapid growth of satellite technology and the increasing presence of vulnerable technology and human life in space have highlighted the need for improved shielding materials. Industry standard protocols for shielding are being pushed to their limits as we gain a deeper understanding of the harsh space environment and as chip sizes approach the scale of radiation wavelengths. Furthermore, the commercialization of space is attracting interest from industries such as pharmaceuticals and semiconductor crystal growing, as they explore the potential benefits of zero-gravity production environments. However, the eagerness to develop lighter shielding and the lack of consideration for existing tools …

Numerical Simulations Suggest Asteroids (101955) Bennu And (162173) Ryugu Are Likely Second Or Later Generation Rubble Piles., K J Walsh, R-L Ballouz, W F Bottke, C Avdellidou, Harold Connolly Jr., M Delbo, D N Dellagiustina, E R Jawin, T Mccoy, P Michel, T Morota, M C Nolan, S R Schwartz, S Sugita, D S Lauretta

School of Earth & Environment Departmental Research

Rubble pile asteroids are widely understood to be composed of reaccumulated debris following a catastrophic collision between asteroids in the main asteroid belt, where each disruption can make a family of new asteroids. Near-Earth asteroids Ryugu and Bennu have been linked to collisional families in the main asteroid belt, but surface age analyses of each asteroid suggest these bodies are substantially younger than their putative families. Here we show, through a coupled collisional and dynamical evolution of members of these families, that neither asteroid was likely to have been created at the same time as the original family breakups, but …

On The Nature Of Low-Frequency Power Spectra In Solar Wind Turbulence, Mason Alden Dorseth

Theses and Dissertations

An important challenge in the accurate estimation of power spectra of plasma fluctuations in the solar wind at very low frequencies is that it requires extremely long signals, which will necessarily contain a mixture of qualitatively different solar wind streams. This unavoidably affects the structure of the power spectra by conflating all these different properties into a single power spectrum. This work develops a conditional statistical analysis to accurately estimate the power spectrum at arbitrarily low frequencies for ``pure'' slow solar wind stream, based on estimated autocorrelation functions of signals excluding portions that do not satisfy the required conditions. The …

On The Impact Of Geospace Weather On The Occurrence Of M7.8/M7.5 Earthquakes On 6 February 2023 (Turkey), Possibly Associated With The Geomagnetic Storm Of 7 November 2022, Dimitar Ouzounov, Galina Khachikyan

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

A joint analysis of solar wind, geomagnetic field, and earthquake catalog data showed that before the catastrophic M = 7.8 and M = 7.5 Kahramanmaras earthquake sequence on 6 February 2023, a closed strong magnetic storm occurred on 7 November 2022, SYM/H = −117 nT. The storm started at 08:04 UT. At this time, the high-latitudinal part of Turkey’s longitudinal region of future epicenters was located under the polar cusp, where the solar wind plasma would directly access the Earth’s environment. The time delay between storm onset and earthquake occurrence was ~91 days. We analyzed all seven strong (M7+) earthquakes …

Identifying Ion-Scale Waves In Parker Solar Probe Sub-Alfvénic Intervals, Nicholas Henry Androski, Kristoff Paulson

Physics

Identification of coherent quasi-parallel ion-scale (1-32 Hz) wave activity in sub-Alfvénic regions of the solar wind observed by NASA's Parker Solar Probe during perihelion encounters 8 to 16. Wave activity is filtered computationally by coherency, circular polarization and propagation angle with respect to the mean magnetic field. Initial statistical results are presented with suggestions for future improvements and studies. A general overview of the heliosphere and the context of ion-cyclotron waves (an ion-scale wave) in the coronal heating problem. Along the way to identify ion-scale wave activity, tables of sub-Alfvénic intervals and current sheet crossings for encounters 8 to 16 …

Modeling An Extra Planet's Effects On Earth, Emily Simpson

Aerospace, Physics, and Space Science Student Publications

Orbital dynamics play a crucial role in determining the habitability of exoplanets, and many models have been developed to study the dynamical evolution of broader planetary system structure. To further investigate the implications this has regarding planetary habitability, this project simulated the evolution of the Solar System with an additional planet orbiting in place of the Asteroid Belt using the Gravitational Rigid-body InTegrator (GRIT) package. 21 total simulations were run for 100,000 years with varying values for the extra planet’s mass (from 0.01 to 10 Earth masses) and orbital parameters (based on the 4 most massive asteroids in the Asteroid …

Dayside Pulsating Diffuse Aurora And The Interplanetary Magnetic Field, Thomas Lewer, Gerard J. Fasel, Maxwell Fargo, Ethan Swonger, S. Lee, Aidan Hulbert, Owen Bradley, Arman Manookian, Tommy Cleaveland, B. Yonano, John Mann, F. Sigernes, D. Lorentzen

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Changes in the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) orientation can affect pulsations in the dayside aurora. It has been reported that multiple dayside arcs(Pc 5 band) were replaced by diffuse pulsating aurora (Pc 3-4 band) when the IMF turned northward. Dayside green (557.7 nm emission) pulsating aurora had been reported to occur between 0800 and 1100 MLT (0500-0800 UT) in patches. The pulsations are normally associated with Pc 3-5 range. This statistical study examines pulsating green aurora using ground-based optical data are obtained from the Kjell Henriksen Observatory (KHO) in Longyearbyen, Svalbard (GEO: N, E; AACGM: N, E). All-Sky Camera images …

Density And Magnetic Field Asymmetric Kelvin‐Helmholtz Instability, Xuanye Ma, Peter Delamere, Katariina Nykyri, Antonius Otto, Stefan Eriksson, Lihui Chai, Brandon Burkholder, Andrew Dimmock, Yu-Lun Liou, Shiva Kavosi

Publications

The Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) instability can transport mass, momentum, magnetic flux, and energy between the magnetosheath and magnetosphere, which plays an important role in the solar‐wind‐ magnetosphere coupling process for different planets. Meanwhile, strong density and magnetic field asymmetry are often present between the magnetosheath (MSH) and magnetosphere (MSP), which could affect the transport processes driven by the KH instability. Our magnetohydrodynamics simulation shows that the KH growth rate is insensitive to the density ratio between the MSP and the MSH in the compressible regime, which is different than the prediction from linear incompressible theory. When the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) …

Mesmerizing Moon Mysteries: Unraveling The Compositions Of Irregular Mare Patches (Imps) Using Remote Observations, Nicholas G. Piskurich

Graduate Thesis and Dissertation 2023-2024

Compositional characterization of lunar surface features informs our understanding of the Moon's thermal and magmatic evolution. We investigated the compositions of hypothesized volcanic features known as irregular mare patches (IMPs) and their surroundings to constrain formation mechanisms. We used six datasets to assess the composition of 12 IMPs: 1) Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M³) derived spectral parameters (e.g., band center positions, shapes), 2) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Diviner Radiometer Experiment (Diviner) measured Christiansen feature (CF) position, 3) SELENE (Kaguya) Multiband Imager (MI) FeO abundance, 4) Clementine 5-band (Ultraviolet/Visible)-derived FeO abundance, 5) LRO Wide Angle Camera (WAC) TiO₂ abundance, …

Ratification Of The Base Of The Ics Geological Time Scale: The Global Standard Stratigraphic Age (Gssa) For The Hadean Lower Boundary, Janna Halla, Nora Noffke, Humberto Reis, Stanley Awramik, Andrey Bekker, Alexander Brasier, Flávia Callefo, Adrita Choudhury, Jan-Peter Duda, Christopher Fedo, Douglas Galante, Jessica Haddock, Peter Haines, Linda Hinnov, Axel Hofmann, Martin Homann, David Huston, Simon Johnson, Linda Kah, Martin Whitehouse, Et Al.

OES Faculty Publications

The base of the ICS (International Commission on Stratigraphy) Geological Time Scale was ratified in 2022 by defining a new Global Stratigraphic Standard Age (GSSA) for the lower boundary of the Hadean Eon (formerly 4000-3600 Ma); the age of the Solar System based on the oldest solids, calcium-aluminium inclusions (CAIs), generated in the protoplanetary disk. The formal GSSA for the Hadean base is the oldest reliable, weighted mean U-corrected Pb-Pb age of 4567.30 ± 0.16 Ma obtained for CAIs in primitive meteorites Allende and Efremovka. This age is supported by the 4568-4567 Ma U-corrected Pb-Pb ages of chondrules in Northwest …

Microstructural, Mineralogical, And Chemical Characterization Of The Handys Bend And Flax Creek Meteorites, Kentucky: Relevance For The Iron Meteorite Record, Ethan S.L. Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Iron meteorites remain the only material view into planetary cores. Despite their scientific relevance, iron meteorites are relatively rare. In June 2021 and March 2022, the Kentucky Geological Survey received requests to identify two metallic specimens discovered in central Kentucky. The specimens were given the provisional names Handys Bend (3175.2 g) and Flax Creek (286.2 g). The goal of this project is to confirm meteoritic origin, characterize their structures and chemistry, assign genetic classifications, and examine potential relations to previous discoveries. Petrography was conducted using scanning electron microscopy. Mineral phases were examined using X-Ray diffraction crystallography. Chemical compositions were determined …

Possible Evidences For Existence Of An Aether Medium (Or Virtual Inertia/Spin Superfluid Medium), Victor Christianto, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The presentation explores the possibility of an aether medium, also referred to as a virtual inertia/spin superfluid medium, existing to explain certain physical phenomena. While the concept of an aether has been historically rejected by mainstream physics, recent findings and interpretations offer potential justifications for its reconsideration. After discussions with several physicists, notably Robert N. Boyd, PhD and others, we are convinced that aether medium does exist, or may be called virtual inertia/spin superfluid medium.