News

Evidence suggests that carbon nanotubes, tiny tubes consisting of pure carbon, could be forged in the envelopes of dust and gas surrounding dying stars. The findings propose a simple, yet elegant mechanism for the formation and survival of complex carbon molecules in space.

LPL Postdoctoral Research Associate Dr. Sarah Moran has been named a University of Arizona Sursum Fellow, selected for her proposal on Haze Evolution in sub-Neptune Exoplanets through UV Laboratory Experiments. The award is a postdoctoral research development grant designed to foster independence and help advance the career goals of postdoctoral scholars by funding small research projects or training experiences that are outside the scope of their current postdoctoral appointments.

Dr. Stefano Nerozzi was awarded the UArizona Galileo Circle Postdoctoral Scholar Award. Dr. Nerozzi is the Science PI on a selected NASA Mars Data Analysis Program proposal to study the intricate fluvial and geologic history of outflow channel systems in Utopia Planitia on Mars. He was recently selected for the Early Career section of the International Mars Ice Mapper (IMIM) Measurement Definition Team (MDT) for his expertise in Mars radar sounding, geomorphology, terrestrial analogues, and geomechanical stability of icy deposits. Stefano is committed to fostering undergraduate research and supporting diversity within his research group assistants.

Brittany Miles has been named a 51 Pegasi b Fellow in Planetary Astronomy by the Heising-Simons Foundation. Brittany’s expertise lies in mid-infrared observations of brown dwarfs—astronomical objects that share properties with both planets and stars. As a Peg b Fellow at UArizona, Brittany will continue her observations of brown dwarf atmospheres to obtain data on cloud composition and behavior. As co-principal investigator on a James Webb Space Telescope proposal, she will explore the coldest known brown dwarf to inspect possible water clouds and water vapor and infer how such features may behave on gas giant exoplanets.

Sagan Fellow Dr. Feng Long joins LPL this Fall 2022. Dr. Long seeks to better understanding the earliest phase of planet formation and to shed light on the origin of the observed diversity in exoplanet properties. Her past works have demonstrated the prevalence of gap and ring features in disks, which are the likely imprints of young planets. At LPL, she will employ observational data from cutting-edge facilities to establish the impact of these disk features on planet formation and to study the associated young planet population.

Scientists have long debated what's under the surface of Mars' south pole. A new study points to clays being more likely than a subsurface lake.

Impact craters left by space debris in the boulders on asteroid Bennu's rugged surface allowed researchers to reconstruct the history of the near-Earth object in unprecedented detail.