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CARL SAGAN CENTERActivity Report May 2017

Dr. Nathalie A. Cabrol, Director

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Peer-ReviewedPublications(onlyinpressorpublished)

1. Blunt,S.etal.,includingE.Nielsen&F.Marchis2017.OrbitsfortheImpatient:ABayesianRejection SamplingMethod for Quickly Fitting the Orbits of Long-Period Exoplanets. TheAstronomicalJournal,Volume153,Issue5,articleid.229,22pp.(2017).,153.Availableat:http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.10653.

2. Chilcote,J.etal.,includingE.Nielsen&F.Marchis2017.1to2.4micronNear-IRspectrumof the Giant Planet $\beta$ Pictoris b obtained with the Gemini Planet Imager. TheAstronomicalJournal,Volume153,Issue4,articleid.182,15pp.(2017).,153.Availableat:http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.00011

3. Desch SJ, Estrada PR, Kalyaan A, and Cuzzi JN (2017). Formulas for Radial Transport inProtoplanetaryDisks.Astrophys.J.840,articleid.86,8pp.

4. Follette,K.B.etal.,includingE.Nielsen&F.Marchis(2017).ComplexSpiralStructureintheHD 100546 Transitional Disk as Revealed by GPI and MagAO. eprint arXiv:1704.06260.Availableat:http://arxiv.org/abs/1704.06260.

5. GedeM,HargitaiH (2017)AnOnlinePlanetaryExplorationTool: “CountryMovers”.ActaAstronautica.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.04.028

6. Howard,AlanD.,JeffreyM.Moore,OliverL.White,OrkanM.Umurhan,PaulM.Schenk,etal. includingRossA. Beyer. Pluto:Pitsandmantlesonuplandsnorthandeastof SputnikPlanitia,Icarus,Volume293,2017,Pages218-230, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.02.027.

7. HowettCJA,ParkerAH,OlkinCB,ReuterDC,EnnicoK,etal.,includingDalleOreCM(2017).Inflight radiometric calibration of New Horizons' Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera(MVIC).Icarus287,140-151.

8. Johnson-Groh, M. et al., including E. Nielsen & F. Marchis (2017). Integral FieldSpectroscopy of the Low-Mass Companion HD984B with the Gemini Planet Imager. TheAstronomicalJournal,Volume153,Issue4,articleid.190,13pp.(2017).,153.Availableat:http://arxiv.org/abs/1703.02607

9. Lacap-Bugler,D.C., Lee,K.K.,Archer,S.,Gillman, L.N., Lau,M.C.Y., Leuzinger,S.,etal.includingWarren-RhodesK.A.(2017).GlobalDiversityofDesertHypolithicCyanobacteria.FrontiersinMicrobiology,8(867).doi:10.3389/fmicb.2017.00867

10. LuN,ZhaoY,Díaz-SantosT,XuCK,GaoYetal.,includingLordS(2017).AHerschelSpaceObservatory Spectral Line Survey of Local Luminous Infrared Galaxies from 194 to 671Microns.Astrophys.J.Supp.230,articleid.1,34pp.

11. Lupisella M & MS Race (2017). Low-Latency Teleoperations, Planetary Protection &Astrobiology,InternationalJournalofAstrobiology,inpress.

12. Protopapa S, GrundyWM, Reuter DC, Hamilton DP,Dalle Ore CM et al. (2017). Pluto'sglobal surface composition through pixel-by-pixel Hapke modeling of New HorizonsRalph/LEISAdata.Icarus287,218-228.

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13. Rajan,A.etal.,includingE.Nielsen&F.Marchis(2017).Characterizing51Eribfrom1-5$\mu$m: a partly-cloudy exoplanet. eprint arXiv:1705.03887. Available at:http://arxiv.org/abs/1705.03887.

14. Rameau, J. et al., including E. Nielsen & F. Marchis (2017). An Optical/near-infraredinvestigation of HD 100546 b with the Gemini Planet Imager and MagAO. eprintarXiv:1704.06317.Availableat:http://arxiv.org/abs/1704.06317

15. Ruffio,J.-B.etal.,includingE.Nielsen&F.Marchis(2017).ImprovingandAssessingPlanetSensitivity of the GPI Exoplanet Survey with a Forward Model Matched Filter. eprintarXiv:1705.05477.Availableat:http://arxiv.org/abs/1705.05477

16. SchmittB,PhilippeS,GrundyWM,ReuterDC,CôteRetal.,includingDalleOreCM(2017).PhysicalstateanddistributionofmaterialsatthesurfaceofPlutofromNewHorizonsLEISAimagingspectrometer.Icarus287,229-260.

17. TajeddineR,NicholsonPD, TiscarenoMS, HedmanMM,andBurns JA (2017). DynamicalphenomenaattheinneredgeoftheKeelergap.Icarus289,80–93.

18. TayarJ,SomersG,PinsonneaultMH,StelloD,MintsA,etal.,includingHuberD(2017).TheCorrelation betweenMixing Length andMetallicity on the Giant Branch: Implications forAgesintheGaiaEra.Astrophys.J.840,articleid.17,12pp.

19. Triaud AHMJ, Neveu-VanMalle M, Lendl M, Anderson DR, Collier C et al., includingTregloan-Reed J (2017). Peculiar architectures for the WASP-53 and WASP-81 planet-hostingsystems.MNRAS467,1714T.

Conferences:AbstractsandProceedings1. Carson H, Fenton LK,Michaels TI (2017) Using atmospheric modeling to pinpoint ripple

migration timing in Meridiani Planum during the last 400 ky, Fifth Int’l Planetary DunesWorkshop, 16-19 May, St. George, Utah, Abst. #3053.https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/dunes2017/eposter/3053.pdf.(NotethatH.Carsonisastudent.)

2. Glines N.H.,Hargitai H.I., andGulick V.C. 2017. Paleolakes ofNortheasternHellas Basin.EPSCAbstracts,Vol.11,EPSC2017-418-1,2017,EuropeanPlanetaryScienceCongress2017.

3. Hoover RH, Putzig NE, Fenton LK, Courville S (2017) Thermophysical characterization ofsouthernhemispheredunesonMars,FifthInt’l.PlanetaryDunesWorkshop,16-19May,St.George,Utah,Abst.#3063. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/dunes2017/eposter/3063.pdf.

4. RaceMS(2017).UsingAstrobiologyandSpaceMissionPlanningtoBringSTEMChallengestoAudiencesofAllAges,47thConfonEnvironmentalSystems,July,CharlestonSC.

5. Sarrazin, P., D. Blake, M. Gailhanou, F. Marchis, C. Chalumeau, S. Webb, P. Walter, E.Schyns,K.ThompsonandT.Bristow,2017,ICXOMconference,Trieste,Italy.

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6. TiscarenoMS,BakerEJ,andTheCassiniImagingTeam(6/15/17).TargetedflybyimagesofpropellersinSaturn’sAring.AASDivisiononDynamicalAstronomyMeeting48,401.02

7. Zamkotian, F., P. Lanzoni, R. Barette, M. Helmbrecht, F. Marchis, A. Teichman, OpticalMEMSandNanophotonics2017https://omn2017.exordo.com

TechnicalReports&DataReleases1. CoughlinJL(2017)2017b,PlanetDetectionMetrics:RobovetterCompletenessand

EffectivenessforDataRelease25(KSCI-19114-001).

2. ShowalterMRandBallardLreleasedanupdatetoOPUS,thesearchtoolofthePDSRing-MoonSystemsNode,supportingdetailedsearchcapabilities for theVoyager images fromJupiterandSaturn.

PopularPublications/WebStories/OtherMedia/Interviews1. BishopJ(May31).InterviewedforTheVerge,upcomingarticleonredoxstratificationin

ancientlakeatGalecrater,Mars;https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/1/15720814/nasa-curiosity-rover-mars-petrified-mud-lake-gale-crater-habitable-microbial-life.

2. Cabrol,NA(May4)InterviewwithNewsweek.

3. Cabrol,NA(May4)ReviewandquoteinTimeMagazineforthebookAliens(editedbyJimAlKhalilitowhichshecontributedachapter)

4. Cabrol,NA(May9)InterviewonNPR(1A)aboutthebookAlienseditedbyJimAlKhalili,towhichshecontributedachapter.

5. Cabrol,NA(May17)InterviewforapossibleNOVAdocumentaryonwhatmicrobiallifeonEarthcanteachusaboutsearchingforlifebeyondEarth.

6. Cabrol,NA(May30)SkypewithproducersforapotentialseriesaboutlifebeyondEarth.

7. Marchis,F.(2017)CharacterizingExoplanets:WhereAreWeandWhatWillComeNext?Capeia:20170525.007https://beta.capeia.com/planetary-science/2017/05/25/characterizing-exoplanets-where-are-we-and-what-will-come-next

8. Marchis,F.HangoutinDeepAstronomyincludingTheFutureofSETIw/Ground-BasedTelescopesMay172017https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy-HlhWLS4A&t=1337s

9. Marchis,F.andBusch,M.FacebooklivewithfromthePlanetaryDefense

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Conference,Tokyo,JapanonMay17201710. RaceMS(May18).InterviewedforNewScientistmagazine,upcomingarticleonPolicy

IssuesandEthicsofInterplanetarySettlementonMars.11. Tiscareno MS (4/3) was interviewed by Science for the article “In mission’s last hurrah,

Cassini aims to solve riddle of Saturn’s rings.” The article appeared 4/13, usingmaterialfromtheinterviewbutnotquotingTiscarenodirectly.

12. TiscarenoMS(4/7)wasinterviewedontheSETIInstitute’sFacebookLivesegment.

13. TiscarenoMS (4/10)was interviewedonfilmbyDiscoveryCanada,whoareworkingonadocumentaryaboutCassini.ThedocumentarywilllikelyappearinSeptember.

14. TiscarenoMS(4/17)isquotedinthearticle“CassiniSwoopsPastSaturn’sMoonAtlasforaFinalGloriousPhotoshoot”onNowSpace.

15. Tiscareno MS (4/19) was interviewed for the SETI Institute’s Big Picture Sciencepodcast.Thesegment“SpacecraftElegy”waspublished4/24.

16. TiscarenoMS(4/29)wasinterviewedbyradiostationKVMR(NevadaCityCA)foranaudiosegmentandanarticle.

InvitationtoSpeak(ProfessionalandPublic)

1. Andersen,D.:9May,2017,Publictalk,LifeonIce,AntarcticaandMars,attheKarijiniEcoRetreatatJoffreGorgewithintheKarijiniNationalPark,WesternAustralia.

2. Bishop J (May30). ExploringMarswithaRover,Alto InternationalSchool,MiddleSchoolstudents,MenloPark.

3. Busch MW (5/14 - 5/20) ran the @astro_tweeps astronomy public outreach Twitteraccount, conveyingmaterial presented at the 2017 Planetary Defense Conference to thepublic.

4. Gorti, U (2017). Invited colloquium speaker, Geophysics and Planetary Science Dept,Caltech,May9,2017.

5. MarchisF.invitedtospeakattheProspectHighSchoolAstronomyClub,“AdaptiveOptics,Io,Asteroidsandexoplanets”,June1st,PerformingArtsCenter(PAC),Saratoga,CA.

6. MarchisF. invitedtospeakatDropbox Inc.,“TheSearchforaCousinofEarth:ScienceorFiction?”,Droptalk,June14,SanFranciscoCA

7. RaceMS(May24).EnvironmentalLaw,SpacePolicyandHumanMissionstoMars,StanfordUniversityLawSchool,EnvironmentalLawseminar.

8. ShowalterMR(5/26)spokeaboutallaspectsofastronomytotheentiresixthgradeclassofanelementaryschoolinMarylandviaSkype.

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9. Zalucha AM (4/30 - 5/6) ran the @astro_tweeps astronomy public outreach Twitteraccount, discussing topics of planetary atmospheres, planetary protection, SETI science,dailylifeasascientist,andotherplanetarysciencefacts.

10. Zalucha AM (4/28) invitation to speak at Denver Comic Con (early July) about planetaryprotection(title:“ContaminationMars!”).

11. Zalucha AM (5/12) wrote final letter of the school year tomiddle school pen-pal in the“LetterstoaPre-scientist”program.

SignificantEventsandActivities1. Andersen,D.:April22-27.NHK(JapaneseBroadcastingCorporation),Japan'snationalpublic

broadcastingorganizationpremiered itsUHD8Kvideotrailerof theupcomingproductiontentatively titled Antarctica, The Frozen Time Capsule in the 8K Super Hi-Vision (SHV)theaterwith350-inchscreenatthe2017NAB(NationalAssociationofBroadcasters)Show.ThisdocumentarycapturestheAntarcticresearch ledbyDaleAndersenatLakeUntersee,aboveandbelowthethick,perenniallakeice.

2. BuschMWandMarchisFattendedthe2017PlanetaryDefenseConferenceinTokyo,andrespectivelypresentedradarobservationsofnear-Earthasteroidsandworkaddressingtheimpacthazardbythe2016FrontierDevelopmentLab.

3. CabrolNAandRummelJ(May10)startedtoorganizethereviewoftheSETIWhitePapersreceivedasaresponsetotheNovember2016Call.

4. Cabrol NA (May 24) was the guess of the Consul General of Luxembourg at the 19thChurchill’sClubTop10TechTrends,SantaClara.

5. CabrolNAmetwithSaadKhan(May24)todiscusstheorganization,funding,andstructureofactivitiesrelatedtothenewSETIvision.

6. DeVoreE.,CabrolNA,HarmanP,DimockA,MacDonaldR,(May10)hostedaArizonaStateUniversity team led by Ariel Anbar to discuss potential education and outreachcollaborationwiththeSETIInstitute.

7. Fenton LK participated in the organizing committee and chaired a session “DuneMorphology and Response to Wind Regime” at the 5th International Planetary DunesWorkshop,heldinSt.George,UT,16-19May2017.

8. Theteamsandprojects for the2017FrontierDevelopmentLabhavebeenselected,andthemuch-expandedprogramwillbegininthelaterpartofJune.

9. Freund, F.ULF EMRadiation Field: Someof thepreviouslypoorlyunderstood influencesfrom the planetary environment are coming evermore into focus. With respect to theultralow frequency (ULF) electromagnetic (EM) radiation field that is generated by theSchumannResonances(SR),Ihavemadeprogress.IthaslongbeennoticedthattheULFEMfield has a remarkably strong effect on the proper functioning of essential life functions.ThroughmyrecentappointmentasaResearchProfessorattheStanfordUniversityMedical

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School I haveparticipated in aDARPAproposaldesigned to study the consequences thatariseinlivingorganismswhentheULFEMfieldisnear-totallyattenuated.Thisproposalhassincebeensubmitted.

10. Freund, F. ULF EM Radiation Field. Electron Capture and other Nuclear Reactions –Friedemannn participated in a 3-day workshop held at Stanford SLAC to discussobservationsrelatedtothereleaseofradio-activeradonfromtheEarth’ssurface.Aspartof this workshop I presented preliminary results pertaining to the observation that theactivationofpositiveholechargecarriersand theirpropagation through the rockcolumnappears to lead toan increasedemissionofgeo-neutrinos.These subatomicparticlesarereleased when nuclear reactions take place that generate excited nuclei, which emitthermal neutrons and neutrinos, sometimes also gammas and alpha particles. Electroncaptureeventsappeartobethetriggeroftheseemissionprocesses.Theoretically,electroncapture events canoccurwhen themassively delocalizedwave functions associatedwithpositiveholechargecarrierscollapseintothesmallvolumeofsingleoxygenanionsinthe1–valencestate,whichareisoelectronicwiththefluorineatomand,hence,extremelyreactiveandoxidizing.During thebond formation, veryhighelectric fields canbe generatedoververyshorttimeperiods,ontheorderofatoseconds,enoughtoovercomethenuclearforcesandinjectanelectronintoatargetnucleus.

11. The SETI Institute NAI Team had its monthly telecom (May 8), which was focused onupcoming preparations ofmanuscripts and publication of the results from the 2016 fieldexpeditionintheAndes.

12. PeetersE(May9-10).ServedonCanTAC(CanadianTimeAllocationCommitteeforGeminiandCFHT.

13. ShowalterMR isonthescienceorganizingcommitteeforapairofworkshopsfocusingonplanetaryscienceopportunitieswithJWST.

14. TiscarenoMSandBeyer,RA(continuing).MemberoftheNASAPDSRoadmapStudyTeam,whichisworkingtodraftadocumenttochartthefuturecourseoftheNASAPlanetaryDataSystem.

15. TiscarenoMS(continuing).MemberoftheAASDPSSubcommitteeonProfessionalCultureand Climate, which works towards making the community of planetary scientists anenvironmentinwhichprofessionalmeritistheonlycriterionthatdetermineseachperson’ssuccess.

16. TiscarenoMSandBeyer,RA(continuing).MemberoftheNASAPDSRoadmapStudyTeam,whichisworkingtodraftadocumenttochartthefuturecourseoftheNASAPlanetaryDataSystem.

17. ZaluchaAMshiftingfocusofmodelingcloudstreetsonMarsfromlaunching localareaofdust (which quickly dissipates into the background circulation) to running the MRAMSmesoscalemodelattimeswhenasynopticcoldfrontyieldspotentiallyfavorableconditionsfordustliftingandcloudstreetformation.

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HonorsandAwardsCaldwell,D.Acceptedunsolicitedproposal:ScienceandOperationsSupportfortheKeplerandK2Missions,toNASA.Duration:2.5years,Amount:$4M.Thenewcooperativeagreementwillfund11scientistsanddatascientiststosupporttheoperations,dataanalysis,anddataarchivalfortheKeplerandK2missions.Theteam’ssupportforKeplerwillenablethereleaseofthefinalKeplerexoplanetcatalogandthepublicationdetailingitscontents,alongwithsoftwaretoolstointerpretandextendtheexoplanetresults.TheKeplerworkwilllastthroughSeptember2017.The K2 support includes operationalwork to prepare for upcoming observing campaigns, tosupport the spacecraft operations, and to assist in anomaly resolution. The team will alsosupport theK2pipelinedataanalysis, includingupdating thepipelineasneeded toallow forinnovativeK2observations,aswellasarchivinganddocumentingtheK2data.TheK2workwilllastaslongasthemissionoperates,upto2.5years.

Highlights1. DiamondBwas inSouthAfricaandNamibia(May16-June1),visitingmeteoritesites,the

Sutherlandobservatory,andtheDrimolenCave andSterkfontainCavesinSouthAfrica,siteoffossildiscoveriesofearlyhumanancestors AustralopithecusAfricanus, dating back over 2million years. Billmade a numberof Facebook Live events that canbeviewedontheSETIInstituteFBsite. The SETI Expedition Flag #1wasdeployedataseveralsites.

2. GulickVCandGlinesNHhostedthe9thAnnualvisitbythe7thand8thgradersandtheirteacherofEvergreenMiddleSchool,Cottonwood,CAatNASAAmesonMay31,2017.StudentstouredtheNASAAmesFutureFlightCentralandlistenedtoatalkbyDr.PascalLeeabouthischildren’sbookonMars.

3. Gulick and Natalie GlinesansweredstudentquestionsaboutMars, and gave talks and demosabout their Mars work. The titleof their presentationwas “Water,Water Everywhere, But Not ADrop To Drink”. Students gave

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several individual team talks on fluvial landforms on Mars including outflow channels,gullies,streamlinedislands,paleolakes,deltas,andotherfluviallandformsbasedonover60HiRISEimagesthattheyhadsuggestedandacquiredoverthepast9yearsofworkingwithDr.GulickandtheirteacherMrDennisMitchell.Studentshandedoutacalendarthattheyhadmadeandanaglyphglassestoeachoftheattendees.Thecalendarcontained13ofthebest HIRISE stereo images that they had acquired. After their presentation, the studentspresented their rovers that theyhadmadeduring the year anddiscussedwhat theyhadlearnedfromthisexperience.GrouppictureandpressreleasewillbeincludedintheJune2017update.

4. Richards,J(5/25).88ktweetviewsaspartofco-observingKIC8462852dimmingevent

5. Sarrazin,P.,Chalumeau,C.andF.MarchiswereattheSLACSSRL2-3beamlinetotesttheMapXinstrument.Photosbelow.

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CarlSaganCenterScienceCouncilResearchDivision Chair Co-ChairAstronomy&Astrophysics PaulEstrada UmaGortiAstrobiology JaniceBishop NathalieA.CabrolClimate&Geoscience DaleAndersen Exoplanets FranckMarchis DougCaldwellPlanetaryExploration VirginiaGulick LoriFentonSETI GerryHarp EliotGillumAdvisorstotheScienceCouncilMarkShowalterMargaretRaceYoungScientistRepresentativeMichaelBusch