Workshop Overview:
Planetary radar observations have a laudable history of “firsts” including the determination of the astronomical unit at the precision sufficient for interplanetary navigation, the distribution of water at the south pole of the Moon, indications of water ice in the permanently shadowed regions at the poles of Mercury, polar ice and anomalous surface features on Mars, indications that the asteroid (16) Psyche is an exposed metallic core of a planetoid, establishing the icy nature of the Jovian satellites, and the initial characterizations of Titan’s surface. In many cases, these discoveries by planetary radar systems have motivated missions or radar instruments on missions. Further, the discovery of interstellar objects may present new radar targets for bridging Planetary Science and Astrophysics. However, the world’s planetary radar infrastructure consists of two dominant assets, the Arecibo Planetary Radar and the Goldstone Solar System Radar. Both depend upon single antennas equipped with vacuum tube amplifiers, and significant issues have been experienced with their operational reliability and sustainability.
We anticipate holding this three day virtual workshop in the summer of 2020 and then follow up with an in-person five day workshop at the Keck Center in Pasadena in 2021.
Each of the three days in this virtual workshop will have a different focus, with the aim of stimulating new thoughts and new directions to explore. Each day will be a half day (3 hours), with an objective of emerging with a small number (1–3) of exciting future directions.
- Day 1 – What are ambitious science goals for planetary radar observations of asteroids?
- Day 2 – What are ambitious science goals for planetary radar observations of terrestrial planets and into the outer solar system?
- Day 3 – How might we accomplish these ambitious science goals?
Finally, this virtual workshop is occurring during the interval when science white papers for the Planetary Science Decadal Survey will be being developed. A component of this workshop will involve ensuring that compelling white papers will be developed and delivered to the Planetary Science Decadal Survey.
Team Leads
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Caltech
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Joe Lazio
JPL
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Caltech
The study program schedule is available in .pdf here
- Tony Beasley — NRAO (National Radio Astronomy Observatory)
- Lance Benner — JPL
- Darrin Branson — USSPACECOM
- Marina Brozovic — JPL
- Michael Busch — SETI Institute
- Bryan Butler — NRAO
- Saverio Cambioni — University of Arizona
- Bruce Campbell — Smithsonian Institution
- Don Campbell — Cornell University
- Paul Chodas — JPL
- Larry D’Addario — Caltech
- Katherine de Kleer — Caltech
- Mike Egan — NASA/SMD
- Kelly Fast — NASA Headquarters
- Lindley Johnson — NASA Headquarter
- Joe Lazio — JPL
- Karen O’Neil — Green Bank Observatory
- Noemi Pinilla-Alonso — Arecibo Observatory Puerto Rico/ University of Central Florida
- Vikram Ravi — Caltech
- Carol Raymond — JPL
- Edgard Rivera-Valentin — Lunar & Planetary Institute (USRA)
- Mike Rubel — Planet Labs, Inc.
- Nick Stacy — Defence Science & Technology Group
- Mark Taylor — JPL
- Patrick Taylor — Lunar & Planetary Institute
- Flaviane Venditti — Arecibo Observatory /University of Central Florida
- Victor Vilnrotter — JPL
- Anne Virkki — Arecibo Observatory /University of Central Florida
- Steven Wilkinson — Raytheon Space and Intelligence
- Bevin Ashley Zauder — National Science Foundation
