Planetary Sciences Group
University of Central Florida
The UCF Planetary Sciences Group uses spacecraft data, images from the world’s largest telescopes, meteorites and moon rocks, experimental techniques, and supercomputers to investigate our own Solar System as well as others around the Galaxy.
Our Research
Atmospheric Evolution and Habitability
Our research group develops atmospheric models of varying complexity (1D, 2D, 3D) to simulate the atmospheres and habitability of the rocky worlds in our solar system (i.e., Venus, Earth, Mars, Titan) and assess their atmospheric/climatic evolution through time.
Dust Dynamics
We are studying the dynamics of dust particles in various solar system environments, including near the lunar surface, asteroid surface, ring systems, and in interplanetary space. This can include motion due to impacts and other disturbances or the motion of charged dust particles in plasma and electric fields.
Exoplanets and Brown Dwarfs
The Exoplanets Group uses space telescopes to reveal the sizes, temperatures, atmospheric properties, and orbits of many planets and brown dwarfs outside our solar system. We develop new theory and models to interpret and understand those data. We also lead several open-source software projects that provide tools for exoplanet research to the astronomical community.
Laboratory Astrophysics
We trace the molecular basis for the evolution of interstellar clouds, the formation of Solar Systems, the incorporation of molecular species into planetary bodies, including comets and meteorites and how these systems evolve in time. Astrochemistry is often a culmination of different fields acting synergistically.
Laboratory Surface Science
We study the physical properties and compositions of the Moon, asteroids, and Mars. The surfaces of these bodies are covered with a fine-grained particulate regolith (or soil) that marks the boundary between internal geologic processes, and the space environment. What are these regoliths made of? How did they form and how have they evolved over time? Most important: what can this tell us about the earliest history of the solar system and the formation of planets?
Microgravity and Planet Formation
Simulations of planet formation that begin with planetesimals have reached a state where the main properties of the solar system are reproduced. Formation of planetesimals themselves remains poorly understood, however. The role of gravitational instabilities in the disk is not known. The outcome of interactions of small aggregates and dust in the presence of the protoplanetary nebula is also poorly understood.
Planetary Rings
We are studying the structure, composition, and evolution of Saturn’s rings through a combination of analysis of data from the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) and numerical modeling of the rings. We combine multiple stellar occultations to understand the three-dimensional structure of the rings in the same way doctors use CT scans to study the structure of the body. These occultations provide exquisitely detailed maps of the finest structures in the rings which we can then compare to N-body simulations to better understand the dynamics of the rings and their origins.
Small Bodies
“Small bodies” are big on science! Small bodies are comets, asteroids, trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), Trojans, and Centaurs that are all remnants from the planetary formation era 4 ½ billion years ago. Studying these objects’ behavior and evolution allows us to answer some of the most fundamental questions in astronomy and planetary science.
Academic Programs
Our Latest Papers
| Authors | Title | Published Date | Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selmi, Elena; Devogèle, M.; Masiero, J. R.; and 10 coauthors | Cross Validation of Albedo Determination for 1627 Ivar from Three Different Techniques | Feb 2025 | The Planetary Science Journal 6, 26 |
| Martinot, Mélissa; Hanna, Kerri L. Donaldson; Greenhagen, Benjamin T.; and 3 coauthors | Investigating the Compositional Heterogeneity of Pure, Crystalline Plagioclase Exposures within the Moon’s Anorthositic Crust Using Moon Mineralogy Mapper and Diviner Data | Jan 2025 | The Planetary Science Journal 6, 20 |
| Protopapa, Silvia; Raut, Ujjwal; Wong, Ian; and 14 coauthors | Detection of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the stratified surface of Charon with JWST | Dec 2024 | Nature Communications 15, 8247 |
| Wang, Xinyue; Li, Liming; Jiang, Xun; and 16 coauthors | Cassini spacecraft reveals global energy imbalance of Saturn | Dec 2024 | Nature Communications 15, 5045 |
| Pinilla-Alonso, Noemí; Brunetto, Rosario; De Prá, Mário N.; and 17 coauthors | A JWST/DiSCo-TNOs portrait of the primordial Solar System through its trans-Neptunian objects | Dec 2024 | Nature Astronomy , |
| Licandro, Javier; Pinilla-Alonso, Noemí; Holler, Bryan J.; and 18 coauthors | Thermal evolution of trans-Neptunian objects through observations of Centaurs with JWST | Dec 2024 | Nature Astronomy , |
| Medeiros, H.; Licandro, J.; Popescu, M.; and 14 coauthors | Physical properties of five near-Earth asteroids within the NEOROCKS project | Dec 2024 | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 535, 3479 |
| Proudfoot, Benjamin C. N.; Fernández-Valenzuela, Estela; Stansberry, John A.; and 5 coauthors | A Near-infrared Survey of Candidate Haumea Family Members | Dec 2024 | The Astronomical Journal 168, 269 |
| Pinilla-Alonso, N.; Licandro, J.; Brunetto, R.; and 15 coauthors | Unveiling the ice and gas nature of active centaur (2060) Chiron using the James Webb Space Telescope | Dec 2024 | Astronomy and Astrophysics 692, L11 |
| Cesario, Lorenzo; Lichtenberg, Tim; Alei, Eleonora; and 62 coauthors | Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): XIV. Finding terrestrial protoplanets in the galactic neighborhood | Dec 2024 | Astronomy and Astrophysics 692, A172 |
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