Below is a guide to notable research from the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado Boulder (LASP) that is being presented at the American Geophysical Union 2025 meeting, the world’s largest gathering of Earth and space scientists, from Dec. 15-19 in New Orleans. Within each category, presentations are listed in chronological order, and all times are CST.
Media contacts:
Terri Cook & Sara Pratt, LASP Communications media@lasp.colorado.edu
LASP presentations will highlight advances in understanding extreme space weather events, delivering real time space weather data, and the essential role of university research institutes in driving innovation and workforce development for the space weather community.
Most intense space weather events during the space age: Analyzing effects on spacecraft and human life
Tara Rapoport, LASP/CU Boulder
This study examines the 50 strongest solar flares and 50 most intense geomagnetic storms observed since 1960, revealing patterns in timing and magnitude relative to the solar cycle. These results inform risk assessments for future robotic and crewed spaceflight.
Tues., Dec. 16, 08:30–12:00 | Hall EFG (Poster Hall, NOLA CC) | SH21G-2581
Delivering Near Real-Time Space Weather Observations: The I-ALiRT Cloud Architecture and International Ground Station Integration for IMAP
Laura Sandoval, LASP/CU Boulder
The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) mission launched in September 2025 includes the IMAP Active Link for Real-Time (I-ALiRT) data system to provide continuous near real-time space weather data products for the heliophysics and space weather communities to enhance current forecasting methods and enable innovation for new modeling and prediction capabilities.
Tues., Dec. 16, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SA21C-2369
Most intense space weather events during the space age: Analyzing effects on spacecraft and human life
Phil Chamberlin, LASP/CU Boulder
Space weather affects nearly every aspect of modern life, from commerce and national security to health, safety, communications, and exploration and university research institutes play a critical role in this infrastructure by advancing basic science to deepen our understanding of space weather.
Wed., Dec. 17, 2:50–2:56pm | Room 291, NOLA CC | SH33B-05
From the Earth to the Moon to the outer planets of the Solar System and beyond, LASP presentations at AGU will cover an exciting range of science, including probing ocean world chemistry in Enceladus plume flybys, tracking long-term atmospheric changes at Uranus, reanalyzing Voyager plasma data, developing new instruments to study dust on the Moon, and advancing Earth climate and atmospheric science through missions like Libera, ARCSIX, and CubeSat-based observations.
NUV Observations of Mars with the Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) CubeSat
Dolon Bhattacharyya, LASP/CU Boulder
The dynamic nature of the Martian upper atmosphere, which exhibits large seasonal changes between perihelion and aphelion, is still being investigated specifically with regards to the effect of solar activity for the perihelion/dust storm. Results of using an Earth-orbiting astrophysics CubeSat to study Mars in the UV are presented.
Mon., Dec. 15, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | P11D-2191
Photochemical Modeling of the Venusian Thermosphere and Ionosphere: Effects of Day-to-Night Transport (Invited)
Krishnaprasad (KP) Chirakkil, LASP/CU Boulder
We present results from our updated 2-D multicolumn photochemical model of the Venusian thermosphere and ionosphere, incorporating the effects of horizontal transport between the day and night hemispheres on neutral and ion densities. The results offer insights into Venusian atmospheric chemistry and dynamics and allows the study of horizontal mixing effects unattainable with traditional 1-D models, enhancing our understanding of atmospheric composition gradients and transport processes on Venus.
Mon., Dec. 15, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SM11F-2004 2-D
Dust Mass Density of Enceladus Plume Constrained with In Situ Impact Plasma Measurements
Sean Hsu, LASP/CU Boulder
Cassini’s high-speed flybys through Enceladus’ plume allowed scientists to use impact plasma measurements from multiple instruments to estimate plume dust mass density, independent of grain size assumptions—providing key insights for future missions aiming to sample icy particles.
Tue., Dec. 16, 8:30am–12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall), NOLA CC | P21F-2669
Jupiter’s Diffuse Aurora: Species- and Energy-Dependent Precipitation Shaped by Loss Cone Evolution
Domenique Freund, LASP/CU Boulder
This study explores where and how many charged particles, such as electrons, protons, and heavier ions, enter Jupiter’s upper atmosphere, especially in a region known as the diffuse aurora. These particles spiral around the planet’s magnetic field lines and can reach the atmosphere if their motion aligns closely enough with the direction of the field. In such cases, they fall into what is called a “loss cone.” A detailed model reveals how Jupiter’s magnetic field shapes and controls the size of particle loss cones, helping us understand how and where energetic particles deposit energy and drive the planet’s powerful auroras.
Tues., Dec. 16, 9:05-09:15am | Room 286-287 (NOLA CC) | SM21A-04
Water Delivery to the Lunar South Pole: The Role of Impact Melt Degassing
Dr. Harish, LASP/CU Boulder
Impact melt from asteroid collisions may release water that migrates to permanently shadowed regions near the lunar South Pole. Modeling of 24 craters suggests this process could add measurable ice—hundreds of microns thick—to cold traps, offering clues to the origins of lunar water and its availability for future missions.
Tues., Dec. 16, 11:00-11:15am | Room 293 (NOLA CC) | P22B-03
Retention of Habitable Atmospheres in Planetary Systems
Dave Brain, LASP/CU Boulder
Planetary atmospheres can be lost through various escape processes driven by energy from their host stars. The Retention of Habitable Atmospheres in Planetary Systems (RHAPS) project models how planetary and stellar characteristics influence long-term atmospheric retention. This study presents escape rate estimates and offers insights into which planetary systems may sustain habitable conditions over time.
Wed., Dec. 17, 8:30am–12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall, NOLA CC) | P31D-2591
Probing the MLT with Solar Soft X-ray Occultations: Neutral Density and Temperature Measurements from the MinXSS and DAXSS CubeSat Missions
Robert Sewell, LASP/CU Boulder
Using CubeSat solar X-ray observations, researchers developed a new way to measure density and temperature in the hard-to-study lower thermosphere (90–200 km). This technique helps fill a major observational gap and improves understanding of how energy flows between Earth’s atmosphere layers.
Wed., Dec. 17, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SA31B-2320
Saturn’s E Ring Revisited
Sascha Kempf, LASP/CU Boulder
Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer collected millions of measurements from Saturn’s E ring, enabling the first localized speed distributions of icy particles. A new calibration for water-ice impacts improves understanding of ring dynamics and evolution, shedding light on how Enceladus’ volcanism sustains this vast dust ring.
Wed., Dec. 17, 2:15-2:25pm | Room 292 (NOLA CC) | P34B-01
Sea Ice Anomalies, Glaciated Warm Clouds, and Elusive Ice Nuclei: Tracking the 2024 Arctic Melt Season with the NASA ARCSIX Mission
Sebastian Schmidt, LASP/CU Boulder
NASA’s ARCSIX mission gathered unprecedented aircraft and ground-based observations during the 2024 Arctic melt season to study interactions among sea ice, clouds, aerosols, and radiation. These systematic measurements are reshaping our understanding of Arctic climate processes in one of Earth’s fastest-changing regions.
Wed., Dec. 17, 4:15 – 4:25pm | Room 208-209 (NOLA CC) | C34A-01
Simulating Enceladus Plume Encounters: Laboratory Impact Ionization Mass Spectrometry of Salt-Rich Ice Grains
Marshall Seaton, LASP/CU Boulder
NASA’s Cassini mission revealed that Saturn’s moon Enceladus emits a plume of water ice and vapor from its south pole, sourced from a subsurface ocean rich in the ingredients for life as we know it. A new laboratory method simulating high-speed spacecraft flythroughs of Enceladus’s plume uses impact ionization mass spectrometry to analyze salt-rich ice grains, mimicking the sampling conditions expected in future missions to Enceladus and other ocean worlds. These findings will help accurately interpret the chemical makeup of ocean world materials.
Wed., Dec. 17, 4:25-4:35pm | Room 293, NOLA CC | P34A-02
Steady Collapse of Uranus’ exosphere since the Voyager Era
Dolon Bhattacharyya, LASP/CU Boulder
Uranus’ upper atmosphere has cooled dramatically since Voyager 2’s 1986 flyby—from about 800 K to 400 K in 2025—causing its thermosphere to steadily cool with time from 1992. Analysis of decades of Hubble UV data suggests the collapse of its exosphere in line with the thermospheric cooling trend but only after 1998. This temporal mismatch highlights the challenges in understanding the planet’s evolving atmosphere with limited available data.
Thurs., Dec. 18, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | P41G-2682
Voyager 2 Plasma Data at Uranus and Neptune
Fran Bagenal, LASP/CU Boulder
Voyager 2 plasma data from Uranus and Neptune has been reanalyzed and archived, along with validated software and complete metadata, enabling researchers to access currents, spectra, and derived plasma parameters for future studies of outer planet magnetospheres.
Thurs., Dec. 18, 08:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | P41G-2681
Compact Electrostatic Dust Analyzer (CEDA) for Measuring Dust Transport on Small Airless Bodies
Xu Wang, LASP/CU Boulder
The Compact Electrostatic Dust Analyzer (CEDA) is a lightweight instrument designed to measure charge, velocity, and flux of lofted dust on airless bodies like the Moon and asteroids, offering new insights into surface evolution and dust transport dynamics.
Thurs., Dec. 18, 4:35–4:45 | Room 291 (NOLA CC) | P44A-03
Accessing the Angular Dimension of Earth’s Radiative Energy Budget with Libera’s Wide-Field-of-View Camera
Sebastian Schmidt, LASP/CU Boulder
The LASP-built Libera instrument, launching in 2027, will continue Earth’s radiation budget record while introducing innovations like advanced detectors, a new near-IR/SWIR channel, and a wide-field camera for multi-angle imaging—enhancing climate models and paving the way for future miniaturized imagers.
Fri., Dec. 19, 11:10-11:20am | New Orleans Theater C (NOLA CC) | GC52E-05
LASP researchers will present on a wide array of solar and space physics research—from detecting tiny orbital debris and modeling object–plasma interactions to studying magnetic reconnection, solar wind heating, and fine scale solar flare physics using advanced observations and simulations. LASP research is helping to reshape our understanding of everything from the near Earth environment to the heliosphere, and the plasma processes that govern them.
Prototyping and Design Advances for Debris and meteoroid ENvironment Sensor (DENTS): an Instrument for In-Situ Small Debris Detection and Characterization of the Near-Spacecraft Environment Following Hypervelocity Impacts
David Malaspina, LASP/CU Boulder
Small debris in near-Earth space pose risks to spacecraft and are hard to detect with current systems. The new Debris and Meteoroid ENvironment Sensor (DENTS) instrument combines multiple measurement techniques to fill this gap, providing better data on debris populations and improving space safety.
Mon., Dec. 15, 10:45–11am | Room 283–285 (NOLA CC) | SA12A-02
Plasma Wakes Throughout the Solar System
Jan Deca, LASP/CU Boulder
Airless, unmagnetized bodies across the Solar System interact directly with the surrounding plasma, forming plasma wakes—regions of depleted plasma behind the body. Using advanced simulations, this study analyzed plasma wakes behind airless bodies like the Moon, revealing how localized plasma processes shape large-scale dynamics. These findings improve understanding of space plasma interactions and have applications from planetary science to spacecraft design.
Mon., Dec. 15, 2:15–5:45pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall, NOLA CC) | P13F-2277
Investigation of object-plasma interactions in Low-Earth Orbit through integrated numerical and laboratory approaches
Naomi Maruyama, LASP/CU Boulder
Over the last 60 years of human presence in space, the number of objects in orbit has increased, which, as a consequence, has made space debris a significant threat to operational spacecraft. This project investigates how objects interact with the ambient plasma environment in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO), focusing on the generation of plasma wave signatures that could help detect sub-centimeter debris that ground-based tracking systems can’t.
Mon., Dec. 15, 2:15–5:45pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall, NOLA CC) | SA13B-1934
Tomographic Reconstructions of High-Latitude Ionosphere-Thermosphere Variability from DMSP SSULI Data
Maggie Zheng, LASP/CU Boulder
The Special Sensor Ultraviolet Limb Imager (SSULI) instruments—flown onboard several of the satellites of the Department of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) constellations—have provided multi-decade, multi-satellite observations of the ionosphere and thermosphere. This statistical analysis of SSULI data from 2010 to mid-2016 focuses on high-latitude regions to characterize auroral variability and its drivers, with the resulting dataset to be publicly released for broader scientific use.
Mon., Dec. 15, 5:15-5:27pm | Room 283-285 (NOLA CC) | SA14A-06
Properties of Magnetic Reconnection in the Turbulent Magnetosheath
Yi Qi, LASP/CU Boulder
Researchers used MMS spacecraft data to study how magnetic reconnection occurs within turbulence in Earth’s magnetosheath and how solar wind conditions influence this process. The findings help clarify reconnection’s role in energy transfer and turbulence evolution in near-Earth space.
Tues., Dec. 16, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SM21C-2414
Progress Update on The Next Generation of Flare Irradiance Spectral Models, FISM-3 and FISM-OP
Phillip C Chamberlin, LASP/CU Boulder
FISM-3, the next version of the Flare Irradiance Spectral Model, will improve solar UV irradiance modeling by adding new data sources, advanced flare timing models, and real-time forecasting capabilities. These upgrades aim to reduce discrepancies in FISM2 and enhance space weather prediction.
Tues., Dec. 16, 2:15-2:25 | Room 283-285 (NOLA CC) | SA24A-01
Chromospheric spectral variability during the impulsive phase of a solar flare observed at high spatial resolution with DKIST
Cole Tamburri, NSO/LASP/CU Boulder
Scientists present impulsive-phase flare spectra from the Visible Spectropolarimeter at the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) during the GOES C4.7-class flare at 22:30 UT on 11 August 2024, producing spectral maps with exceptional spatial resolution that are compared with computer simulations to explore which heating processes might explain the flare’s complex patterns and what improvements future models will need.
Wed., Dec. 17, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SH31F-2505
Why do spacecraft charging model predictions strongly disagree with measured floating potentials on Parker Solar Probe?
Delaney Lee-Bellows, LASP/CU Boulder
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, which flies closer to the Sun than any spacecraft has before, encounters extreme plasma and ultraviolet conditions leading to unexpected levels of spacecraft surface charging that affect onboard instruments. These charging variations appear to track changes in solar photon flux over the solar cycle, offering a rare opportunity to study spacecraft charging in an entirely new environment.
Wed., Dec. 17, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SH31D-2495
X-ray Spectral Characteristics and Chromospheric Line Broadenings with the High-Time Resolution Multi-Wavelength Observation Campaign of M-dwarf Flares
Yuta Notsu, LASP/CU Boulder
We present the X-ray flaring properties from a unique, 7-day multiwavelength “high-time resolution” observing campaign on the M1 flare star AU Mic. The observations are compared with the solar flare models and results suggest that these most energetic M-dwarf flares are associated with stronger magnetic field flux densities and larger size scales than solar flares, but can be interpreted in terms of the solar-based flare standard flare model.
Wed., Dec. 17, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SH31F-2516
Quiescent Solar Wind In-situ Heating and Turbulent Spectra: Role of Switchbacks in in-situ Heating?
Benjamin Short, LASP/CU Boulder
The solar wind near the Sun, when calm (or “quiescent”), has small magnetic field changes and aligns with a spiral pattern called the Parker spiral. Earlier studies showed that this calm solar wind, at about 30 times the Sun’s radius, has traits suggesting it carries features of younger solar wind structures. However, new Parker Solar Probe data show its heating is similar to active solar wind, suggesting large magnetic fluctuations don’t drive heating. Instead, small-scale turbulence likely controls how the solar wind warms as it travels.
Thurs., Dec. 18, 2:15-5:45pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SH43D-2617
Dual Origins of Rapid Flare Ribbon Downflows in an X9-class Solar Flare
Ryan French, LASP/CU Boulder
Observations of an X9-class solar flare on Oct 3, 2024, revealed rapid downflows— regions of plasma (ionized gas) moving downward in the Sun’s atmosphere at speeds up to 217 km/s—occurring in two distinct phases suggesting that multiple mechanisms are responsible for the downward acceleration of flare ribbon plasma.
Fri., Dec. 19, 9:22-09:35am | Room 286-287 (NOLA CC) | SH51B-05
Unveiling Unprecedented Fine Structure in Post-Flare Coronal Loops with the DKIST (Invited)
Cole Tamburri, LASP/CU Boulder
On Aug. 8, 2024, astronomers using the NSF Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) obtained high resolution observations of a X1.3 flare that revealed exceptionally fine chromospheric ribbon structure and hundreds of ultra-thin post reconnection flare loops that were far smaller than any previously observed. These measurements offer a major step forward in identifying the physical scale of coronal loops and open new possibilities for advancing flare modeling.
Fri., Dec. 19, 10:45–11am | Room 286-287 (NOLA CC) | SH52B-02
SH52B-07 Structure and Dynamics of Energy Deposition and Magnetic Reconnection in a Simulated Solar Flare
Andrei Afanasev, LASP/CU Boulder
We investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of energy deposition in the solar atmosphere during an M-class flare simulated with the MURaM radiative MHD code. Our analysis focuses on the structure of the heat flux across multiple atmospheric heights and the formation and evolution of the associated flare ribbons. Using the superposed epoch analysis technique, we find commonalities in the temporal evolution of the heat flux within the flare ribbons. We track the detailed evolution of magnetic field lines and resolve the dynamics of magnetic reconnection at the flare reconnection site, providing insights into the coupling between reconnection and energy transport in a solar flare.
Fri., Dec. 19, 11:40-11:50am | Room 286-287 (NOLA CC) |SH52B-07
These presentations highlight some innovative ways LASP scientists are advancing space science, from new data analysis techniques like sonification and machine learning to open science platforms and citizen science.
A New Method to Measure Doppler Velocities During a Flare Using SDO/EVE MEGS-A
Gabriela Gonzalez, LASP/CU Boulder
Solar flares are plasma eruptions that occur when there is a large amount of energy deposited onto the surface of the Sun. A new method analyzing unprocessed images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Extreme ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) instrument allows researchers to pinpoint the altitude of energy deposition. Studying solar flares can help us work towards predicting space weather which affects our technology here on Earth such as our radios, satellites, and GPS systems.
Wed., Dec. 17, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SH31F-2503
Event-Driven Cloud Architecture and Open Science: The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) Science Data Center (SDC) Approach to Data Processing and Dissemination
Matthew Bourque, LASP/CU Boulder.
The Science Data Center (SDC) for the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) uses an event‑driven, cloud‑native architecture to automatically convert raw spacecraft telemetry into publicly accessible, science‑ready data products for all ten IMAP instruments. Built on AWS services and guided by FAIR and open‑science practices, it handles complex data dependencies, low‑latency processing, and robust error management while distributing standardized CDF data through a REST API and web interface.
Wed., Dec. 17, 2:15-5:45pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | IN33E-0392
Lesson learned from Space Cloud Watch – A NASA Heliophysics Citizen Science Project
Chihoko Y Cullens, LASP/CU Boulder.
Noctilucent Clouds (NLCs), once limited to high-latitude summers, are now appearing more brightly at mid- and low latitudes, raising questions about climate change and rocket-related water vapor. The Space Cloud Watch project collects global citizen scientist observations to link these occurrences to mesospheric dynamics, with over 250 reports already providing new insights and lessons learned.
Wed., Dec. 17, 2:15-5:45pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SY33B-0648
What Does Data Sound Like? Using Sonification Techniques to Analyze Waves in Earth’s Magnetic Field
Tiffiny Costello, LASP/CU Boulder
Sonification—translating data into sound—offers a novel way to analyze complex wave phenomena in Earth’s magnetic field. This presentation explores how converting magnetospheric wave data into audio can reveal patterns and anomalies that may be missed through traditional visualization. By leveraging human auditory perception, researchers can identify subtle features in space weather data, enhancing interpretation and engagement. This interdisciplinary approach bridges space physics and auditory science, opening new avenues for data analysis and public outreach.
Thu., Dec. 18, 8:55–9:05am | 338-339 (NOLA CC) | SY41B-03 (Oral Presentation) | SY41B-03
Can We Predict Super Substorms? IRANNA: An Imbalanced Regression Neural Network for Auroral Electrojet Indices
Xiangning Chu, LASP/CU Boulder
Predicting super substorms, which are extreme disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field that can disrupt satellites, power systems, and communication networks, is difficult. Tests show the IRANNA model (Imbalanced Regression Artificial Neural Network for the Auroral electrojet index) can successfully predict the peak strength of many strong-to-extreme events, a first for this kind of modeling. The results can greatly improve extreme space weather prediction and deepen our understanding of how the magnetosphere responds to solar activity.
Thurs., Dec. 18, 2:15-5:45pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | SM43B-2552
From the near-Sun interplanetary dust cloud to the icy ocean world of Europa to the distant Kuiper Belt, LASP science is helping to reveal the outsized role that tiny cosmic dust particles play in space and our Solar System, including discovering clues to its origins and evolution.
The Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX) onboard the IMAP Mission: Performance and First-light Results
Mihaly Horanyi, LASP/CU Boulder
The first dust grains have been detected by NASA’s Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP), which was launched in September 2025 to explore how the heliosphere interacts with interstellar space. Among its ten instruments is the LASP-built Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX), an impact ionization mass spectrometer designed to analyze the flux, size, and composition of interstellar dust particles entering the Solar System. IDEX will also study interplanetary dust from comets and asteroids, some of which may still contain unaltered material from before the Sun formed.
Mon., Dec. 15, 11:38–11:49am | Room 288–290 (NOLA CC) | SH12A-07
IDEX Instrument Performance Characteristics and Calibration Measurements
Zoltan Sternovsky, LASP/CU Boulder
The Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX) aboard NASA’s IMAP mission uses impact ionization mass spectrometry to determine the size, velocity, and elemental composition of dust entering the Solar System. Laboratory tests with iron, platinum-coated olivine, and aluminum particles validated the instrument’s performance, including precise isotopic ratio measurements. This presentation highlights IDEX’s measurement capabilities and relevance to IMAP’s science goals.
Tues., Dec. 16, 08:30am–12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall, NOLA CC) | SH21E-2546
Transient Regolith Dust Bursts Induced by Time-Varying Electron Beam
Annalise Cabra, LASP/CU Boulder
Electrostatic dust lofting is believed to explain phenomena like lunar horizon glow and dust ponds on asteroids. While most studies focus on steady-state plasma or UV exposure, this experiment explores how time-varying electron beams affect dust mobilization. The results suggest dynamic charging within microcavities can trigger enhanced dust lofting, offering new insight into surface processes on airless bodies.
Tues., Dec. 16, 11:15–11:30 | Room 293 (NOLA CC) | P22B-04
Utilizing IDEX in the hunt for organic cosmic dust grains
Rebecca Mikula, LASP/CU Boulder
The Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX), which launched aboard NASA’s IMAP mission in September 2025, is a dust impact ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer designed to collect and analyze cosmic dust grains at the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point L1. IDEX will detect both interstellar and interplanetary dust, building on the legacy of Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer. IDEX’s enhanced design—featuring increased target area, mass resolution, and dynamic range—will enable the detection and analysis of organic species in cosmic dust and their implications for understanding the evolution and composition of dust in our solar system.
Tues., Dec. 16, 8:30am–12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall, NOLA CC) | SH21E-2548
Identifying Dust Populations in the STEREO WAVES Instrument Data
Syd Thomas, LASP/CU Boulder
Spacecraft antennas can detect signals from dust particle impacts, which vary depending on the dust population. On the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) mission, the S/WAVES instrument uses three monopole antennas to capture these signals, and modeling helps determine the location of impact on the spacecraft. The goal of this work is to distinguish and characterize different dust populations in the Solar System based on these antenna signals.
Tues., Dec. 16, 8:30am-12pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | P21F-2672
Dust Analyzer Design Options for the Uranus Orbiter and Probe Mission
Austin Smith, LASP/CU Boulder
This presentation provides an overview of science goals relevant to the Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) mission that can be addressed through dust analysis and also reports on an ongoing study characterizing the design parameters for dust analyzers. Key parameters include mass resolution, effective target area, field of view, and dynamic range. Furthermore, the feasibility of incorporating Orbitrap technology into dust analysis is explored, along with a discussion of UOP science questions that could benefit from its unprecedented mass resolution.
Wed., Dec. 17, 2:15-5:45pm | Hall EFG (Poster Hall) (NOLA CC) | P33E-2678
Active Asteroids as a Possible Source of Meteoroid Streams Detected In-Situ in the Near-Sun Interplanetary Dust Cloud
David Malaspina, LASP/CU Boulder
Comets and asteroids passing near the Sun can release material that interacts with the interplanetary dust cloud, potentially accelerating its erosion. Using Parker Solar Probe data, researchers identified localized disagreements with dust models that may be explained by meteoroid streams from near-Sun asteroids. The findings suggest that asteroids may shed more material when they pass near the Sun than previously understood. And that asteroid-related meteoroid streams may be common in the near-Sun interplanetary dust cloud, accelerating its evolution by collisions.
Wed., Dec. 17, 4:45-4:55pm | Room 292 (NOLA CC) | P34B-04
Mass Spectral Analysis Of Water Ice Targets Impacted By Hypervelocity Dust
Camille Yoke, LASP/CU Boulder
This study uses a high-speed dust accelerator to study how icy particles likely behave when they hit spacecraft time-of-flight mass spectrometers. By analyzing the molecules that break off during these impacts, we can better interpret data from past and future space missions like Cassini (CDA) and Europa Clipper (SUDA). The work also shows that salty ice behaves differently than pure ice, which could affect how we understand the composition of icy moons like Europa or Enceladus.
Wed., Dec. 17, 5:05-5:15pm | Room 292 (NOLA CC) | P34B-06
New Horizons’ Student Dust Counter: Measurements Beyond 61 AU Heliocentric Distance
Blair Schulze, LASP/CU Boulder
The New Horizons’ Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter (SDC) continues to measure dust size and density beyond 61 AU, revealing no expected decline in dust flux past 50 AU. Updated models incorporating dust composition and orbital perturbations aim to explain discrepancies between theory and observations. As New Horizons is expected to operate until at least 2050, SDC measurements could detect the transition from inside our heliosphere to interstellar space providing a unique opportunity to learn about our galactic environment and compare it to the astrospheres around other stars.
Wed., Dec. 17, 5:15-5:25pm | Room 292 (NOLA CC) | P34B-07
