Joshua Colwell
Pegasus Professor & Department Chair
Department of Physics
PSB 434
407-823-2012
josh@ucf.edu
Research Groups
Biography
Research
Publications
Dr. Colwell received his B.S. in Physics from Stetson University and a Ph.D. in Astrophysical, Planetary and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has been on the faculty at UCF since 2006 and currently the Department of Physics Chair.
I study the origin and evolution of the solar system and in particular small bodies such as planetary rings, asteroids, comets, dust, and small moons. I’m a Co-Investigator on the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) on the Cassini spacecraft, leading observation design and data analysis and interpretation for observations of Saturn’s rings with that instrument. I am Director of the Center for Microgravity Research within the UCF Physics Department where we design, build and operate microgravity experiments to study the early stages of planet formation, the surfaces of small asteroids and moons, and the collisional evolution of planetary rings.
| Authors | Title | Published Date | Journal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wang, Xinyue; Li, Liming; Jiang, Xun; and 16 coauthors | Cassini spacecraft reveals global energy imbalance of Saturn | Dec 2024 | Nature Communications 15, 5045 |
| Sega, Daniel D.; Stewart, Glen; Colwell, Joshua E.; and 3 coauthors | The dynamics of self-gravity wakes in the Mimas 5:3 bending wave: Modifying the linear theory | May 2024 | Icarus 413, 115987 |
| Colwell, Joshua E.; Dove, Adrienne | Compact Planetary Microgravity Experiments on Suborbital Flights | Dec 2023 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2023, INV23B-02 |
| Holsclaw, Gregory M.; McClintock, William E.; Esposito, Larry W.; and 7 coauthors | Ultraviolet Spectroscopy: an Essential Window into Planetary Phenomena in the Uranus System | Dec 2023 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2023, P31E-3128 |
| Colwell, Joshua E.; Jerousek, Richard; Esposito, Larry W.; and 2 coauthors | Small-Scale Structures in Saturn’s C Ring and Cassini Division | Dec 2023 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2023, P13G-2851 |
| Green, Melody; Colwell, Joshua E.; Esposito, Larry W.; and 2 coauthors | Characterizing Particle Size Distributions and Outlier Populations in Saturn’s Rings using UVIS Occultation Statistics | Dec 2023 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2023, P12B-04 |
| Jerousek, Richard; Colwell, Joshua E.; Eikenberry, Stephen S.; and 12 coauthors | In situ stellar occultations are needed to address priority science at Uranus | Dec 2023 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2023, P04-04 |
| Colwell, Joshua E.; Benavides, Diego; Jerousek, Richard; and 2 coauthors | Devil in the details: statistics of chord occultations of Saturn’s rings | Dec 2023 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2023, P03-02 |
| Cox, Christopher; Dove, Adrienne; Colwell, Joshua E.; and 1 coauthor | Low-Velocity Impact Experiments in Low-Duration Microgravity | Dec 2022 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2022, EP42D-1648 |
| Jerousek, Richard; Colwell, Joshua E.; Esposito, Larry W. | The 3rd Dimension of the C ring Plateaus from Cassini Stellar and Radio Occultations | Dec 2022 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2022, P35E-1920 |
| Esposito, Larry W.; Sremcevic, Miodrag; Colwell, Joshua E.; and 2 coauthors | Statistics of Saturn’s Ring Occultations: Implications for Structure, Dynamics and Origins | Dec 2022 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2022, P35E-1919 |
| Featherstone, Jack; Bullard, Robert; Emm, Tristan; and 7 coauthors | Stick-slip Dynamics in Penetration Experiments on Simulated Regolith | Dec 2021 | The Planetary Science Journal 2, 243 |
| Mauricio-Gonzalez, Adrian; Jerousek, Richard; Colwell, Joshua | Azimuthal Transparency Profiles of Ring Edges from UVIS Occultations of Binary Stars | Dec 2021 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2021, P35E-2169 |
| Jerousek, Richard; Colwell, Joshua; Tiscareno, Matthew; and 2 coauthors | Small-scale azimuthal structure in Saturns rings | Dec 2021 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2021, P35E-2168 |
| Esposito, Larry; Sremcevic, Miodrag; Colwell, Joshua; and 2 coauthors | Flattening of ring particles and self-gravity wakes in Saturns rings | Dec 2021 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2021, P35E-2163 |
| Colwell, Joshua; Brooks, Madisyn; Jerousek, Richard; and 5 coauthors | Irregular Structure in the Core of Saturns B Ring | Dec 2021 | AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2021, P34A-01 |
| Jarmak, Stephanie; Brisset, Julie; Colwell, Joshua; and 5 coauthors | CubeSat Particle Aggregation Collision Experiment (Q-PACE): Design of a 3U CubeSat mission to investigate planetesimal formation | Feb 2019 | Acta Astronautica 155, 131 |
| Becker, Tracy M.; Colwell, Joshua E.; Esposito, Larry W.; and 2 coauthors | Cassini UVIS solar occultations by Saturn’s F ring and the detection of collision-produced micron-sized dust | May 2018 | Icarus 306, 171 |
| Brisset, Julie; Colwell, Joshua; Dove, Adrienne; and 1 coauthor | NanoRocks: Design and performance of an experiment studying planet formation on the International Space Station | Jul 2017 | Review of Scientific Instruments 88, 074502 |