Planetary Origins and Evolution at Imperial (2019-2022)
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Earth Science and Engineering
Abstract
How do stars and planetary systems develop and is life unique to our planet? This is one of the most fundamental of questions in science and has deeply profound implications for our place in the cosmos. It is thus a key scientific challenge set by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Our planet formed 4.5 billion years ago along with the Sun and the other planets and minor bodies in our Solar System. Only by understanding the details of how our Solar System formed can we hope to find an answer.
We now know how stars and planetary systems form in general. We know that stars form by the collapse of interstellar clouds of dust and gas, and planets are constructed in disks of dust and gas surrounding these young stars. There is, however, much we don't know about how our Solar System formed. Why, for example, are all the planets so different? Why is Venus an inferno, Mars a frozen rock, and Earth a haven for life? The answer lies in events that predated the assembly of the planets. Our research program focuses on answering key outstanding questions in this early history of the Solar System.
The source of presolar dust provides a context to our solar system. From what types of star was dust derived and is this mixture typical of other planetary systems? Some of this dust still remains preserved within ancient meteorites and reveals that at least 30 stars produced building blocks for our planets. We aim to sample many more stars by looking for interstellar dust preserved on the Earth's surface within sediments accumulated throughout our planet's history. This will provide a full ingredient list for planetary systems, not just our own.
How planetary materials changed after the dust was assembled into larger bodies is crucial in making planets that are suitable for life. Our research will examine whether primitive planetesimals, the early forerunners of planets, melted and mixed internally by examining the evidence for early magnetic fields within meteorites. Our research will evaluate whether ancient magnetic traces already found in meteorite minerals are reliable indicators of the dynamos of metallic cores.
Volatile constituents are vital to life but easily lost by heating and they differ greatly in abundance between planets in our solar system. Our research focuses on the volatile budgets of the terrestrial planets, to identify the source of the volatiles and determine when they were added. For this, the research examines the isotopes of selenium and tellurium and is made possible by technology and method advances that will be pioneered in the study. As such, the work will help us understand how planets acquire the ingredients essential to the formation life.
Large quantities of volatiles, organic matter and energy, were delivered to the terrestrial planets in a prolonged period of intense bombardment in the early solar system, which likely had a profound influence on the emergence and evolution of life. Large craters that scar the Moon, Mars, Venus and large asteroids provide a record of this bombardment, but one that is challenging to decode. By simulating large crater formation using advanced numerical models, we aim to link observed crater populations to the impactors that formed them and constrain the timing and source of their delivery to the inner solar system.
Finally, what constitutes a planet "suitable for life"? To date only Earth is known to have living things. Whilst the search for life on Mars continues, many believe that living organisms are more likely within the ice-covered oceans of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Our research will focus on recognizing the molecular signature of life within the atmospheres and outflows from icy-moons using experiments and world-leading analytical techniques. This research could provide the first convincing evidence for life beyond Earth and widen our view of the right kind of planet.
We now know how stars and planetary systems form in general. We know that stars form by the collapse of interstellar clouds of dust and gas, and planets are constructed in disks of dust and gas surrounding these young stars. There is, however, much we don't know about how our Solar System formed. Why, for example, are all the planets so different? Why is Venus an inferno, Mars a frozen rock, and Earth a haven for life? The answer lies in events that predated the assembly of the planets. Our research program focuses on answering key outstanding questions in this early history of the Solar System.
The source of presolar dust provides a context to our solar system. From what types of star was dust derived and is this mixture typical of other planetary systems? Some of this dust still remains preserved within ancient meteorites and reveals that at least 30 stars produced building blocks for our planets. We aim to sample many more stars by looking for interstellar dust preserved on the Earth's surface within sediments accumulated throughout our planet's history. This will provide a full ingredient list for planetary systems, not just our own.
How planetary materials changed after the dust was assembled into larger bodies is crucial in making planets that are suitable for life. Our research will examine whether primitive planetesimals, the early forerunners of planets, melted and mixed internally by examining the evidence for early magnetic fields within meteorites. Our research will evaluate whether ancient magnetic traces already found in meteorite minerals are reliable indicators of the dynamos of metallic cores.
Volatile constituents are vital to life but easily lost by heating and they differ greatly in abundance between planets in our solar system. Our research focuses on the volatile budgets of the terrestrial planets, to identify the source of the volatiles and determine when they were added. For this, the research examines the isotopes of selenium and tellurium and is made possible by technology and method advances that will be pioneered in the study. As such, the work will help us understand how planets acquire the ingredients essential to the formation life.
Large quantities of volatiles, organic matter and energy, were delivered to the terrestrial planets in a prolonged period of intense bombardment in the early solar system, which likely had a profound influence on the emergence and evolution of life. Large craters that scar the Moon, Mars, Venus and large asteroids provide a record of this bombardment, but one that is challenging to decode. By simulating large crater formation using advanced numerical models, we aim to link observed crater populations to the impactors that formed them and constrain the timing and source of their delivery to the inner solar system.
Finally, what constitutes a planet "suitable for life"? To date only Earth is known to have living things. Whilst the search for life on Mars continues, many believe that living organisms are more likely within the ice-covered oceans of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Our research will focus on recognizing the molecular signature of life within the atmospheres and outflows from icy-moons using experiments and world-leading analytical techniques. This research could provide the first convincing evidence for life beyond Earth and widen our view of the right kind of planet.
Planned Impact
Public Sector
Encouraging science and engineering participation in schools and inspiring students to study STEM subjects is a primary goal of the Review of Science and Society Programme conducted by the Department of Business, Innovations and Skills (2012) resulting in the Charter for Science and Society in the UK. Our outreach strategy (see Pathways to Impact attachment and Project-specific outreach activities, Appendix III) involves existing relationships with the BA, the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, the Natural History Museum, Greenwich Observatory and STFC Science in Society. Our activities include direct contact open days and school visits as well as online education resources such as the Rock Library (Project E) and Impact Earth (Project A) that engage with more than 400k people each year.
Private Sector
The private sector will benefit from our technology and methodology development and widened participation in STEM.
(a) The selenium isotope analyses of Project C will employ the Sapphire MC-ICP-MS, a new mass spectrometer developed by Nu Instruments Ltd, which was only recently launched in August 2017. The project represents one of the first applications of the Sapphire in the context of a full research project. As such, our work will support Nu Instruments in demonstrating the performance and capabilities of the new mass spectrometer to potential costumers. Hence, Nu Instruments are expecting the research collaboration to generate additional revenue of up to £300,000 per year.
(b) Isotopic techniques originally developed by Rehkamper (Project C) for meteorite analyses have found numerous other applications, including (i) toxicological studies of manufactured nanomaterials as part of a private-public partnership that provided the UK contribution to the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials, (ii) investigations of breast cancer to identify new methods of early diagnosis (Larner et al., 2015), and (iii) work funded by both Mars Chocolate and a STFC-GCRF grant in support of sustainable cocoa production. Further industry-relevant applications are under development.
(c) Extraction and analysis of organics are applicable to a wide range of environmental, forensic and petrochemical applications. Sephton (Applicant, Project B) has a successful track record with the TTO in KE including the transfer of space-related technologies to the areas of forensics and oil extraction working with express Medicals and BP and Apache, respectively.
Third Sector
Third sector organisations are important in widening participation in the UK. Our program already engages with the BA, The Royal Institute, Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society (see Pathways to Impact). We are also involved with amateur societies UK-wide giving ~16 lectures a year. During the grant we expect to contribute to BA Festival of Science, The RS Summer exhibition and the Science Media Centre (RI).
General Public
The IC Strategy document 2015-2020 states that Imperial College London will "share the wonder and importance of what we do. Collaboration with the public, schools and our local communities fosters a shared passion for and understanding of our work." Communicating our research to the public is an important activity and our research results in ~60 media interviews a year. We also act as advisors on documentaries (e.g. How to build a Planet, 2014) and thus help shape the science narrative of the media. Our research also generates significant media interest. In 2017 there were over 700 media articles on our research including a range of high profile international publications (National Geographic, The New York Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times, Seeker). US Discover magazine also rated one of our papers as #58 in the top 100 scientific discoveries of 2017. We also have a long standing relationship with STFC Science in Society (SiS) program including constructing the Lunar Samples Package (Genge).
Encouraging science and engineering participation in schools and inspiring students to study STEM subjects is a primary goal of the Review of Science and Society Programme conducted by the Department of Business, Innovations and Skills (2012) resulting in the Charter for Science and Society in the UK. Our outreach strategy (see Pathways to Impact attachment and Project-specific outreach activities, Appendix III) involves existing relationships with the BA, the Royal Society, the Royal Institution, the Natural History Museum, Greenwich Observatory and STFC Science in Society. Our activities include direct contact open days and school visits as well as online education resources such as the Rock Library (Project E) and Impact Earth (Project A) that engage with more than 400k people each year.
Private Sector
The private sector will benefit from our technology and methodology development and widened participation in STEM.
(a) The selenium isotope analyses of Project C will employ the Sapphire MC-ICP-MS, a new mass spectrometer developed by Nu Instruments Ltd, which was only recently launched in August 2017. The project represents one of the first applications of the Sapphire in the context of a full research project. As such, our work will support Nu Instruments in demonstrating the performance and capabilities of the new mass spectrometer to potential costumers. Hence, Nu Instruments are expecting the research collaboration to generate additional revenue of up to £300,000 per year.
(b) Isotopic techniques originally developed by Rehkamper (Project C) for meteorite analyses have found numerous other applications, including (i) toxicological studies of manufactured nanomaterials as part of a private-public partnership that provided the UK contribution to the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials, (ii) investigations of breast cancer to identify new methods of early diagnosis (Larner et al., 2015), and (iii) work funded by both Mars Chocolate and a STFC-GCRF grant in support of sustainable cocoa production. Further industry-relevant applications are under development.
(c) Extraction and analysis of organics are applicable to a wide range of environmental, forensic and petrochemical applications. Sephton (Applicant, Project B) has a successful track record with the TTO in KE including the transfer of space-related technologies to the areas of forensics and oil extraction working with express Medicals and BP and Apache, respectively.
Third Sector
Third sector organisations are important in widening participation in the UK. Our program already engages with the BA, The Royal Institute, Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society (see Pathways to Impact). We are also involved with amateur societies UK-wide giving ~16 lectures a year. During the grant we expect to contribute to BA Festival of Science, The RS Summer exhibition and the Science Media Centre (RI).
General Public
The IC Strategy document 2015-2020 states that Imperial College London will "share the wonder and importance of what we do. Collaboration with the public, schools and our local communities fosters a shared passion for and understanding of our work." Communicating our research to the public is an important activity and our research results in ~60 media interviews a year. We also act as advisors on documentaries (e.g. How to build a Planet, 2014) and thus help shape the science narrative of the media. Our research also generates significant media interest. In 2017 there were over 700 media articles on our research including a range of high profile international publications (National Geographic, The New York Post, The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times, Seeker). US Discover magazine also rated one of our papers as #58 in the top 100 scientific discoveries of 2017. We also have a long standing relationship with STFC Science in Society (SiS) program including constructing the Lunar Samples Package (Genge).
Organisations
- Imperial College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- Paris Institute of Earth Physics (Collaboration)
- ETH Zurich (Collaboration)
- Curtin University (Collaboration)
- Purdue University (Collaboration)
- University of Chicago (Collaboration)
- Brown University (Collaboration)
- Planetary Science Institute - Arizona (Collaboration)
- University of Bristol (Collaboration)
Publications
Bray V
(2022)
"False peak" creation in the Flynn Creek marine target impact crater
in Meteoritics & Planetary Science
Burchell M
(2023)
Impact Earth! Protecting the UK and further afield from impacts by Near-Earth objects
in Astronomy & Geophysics
Cashion M
(2022)
Chondrule formation via impact jetting in the icy outer solar system
in Icarus
Chan Q
(2023)
The amino acid and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compositions of the promptly recovered CM2 Winchcombe carbonaceous chondrite
in Meteoritics & Planetary Science
Cheng AF
(2023)
Momentum transfer from the DART mission kinetic impact on asteroid Dimorphos.
in Nature
Collins GS
(2020)
A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact.
in Nature communications
Title | Dataset for "A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact" |
Description | Data files for 5 timesteps from each simulation. File name convention is A<angle>_v<velocity>_t<time>.npz where time is in seconds (or the string "final"). Each file contains several cell-based fields (pressure, temperature, specific internal energy, density), tracer fields (peak tracer pressure, x,y,z locations) and grid information (nodal and cell-centred coordinates). For an example of how to access all that information, see the "Timestep" class at the top of the "plot_frame.py" python script. Python script "plot_frame.py" will create a figure similar to the panels in Figures 2 and 3 in the paper. Use the flags -a, -V and -t to set the desired impact angle, impact velocity and time. iSALE3D input files for the 8 simulations can be found in inputfiles.tgz Postprocessing python scripts can be found in postprocessing.tgz |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3667832 |
Title | Dataset for "A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact" |
Description | Data files for 5 timesteps from each simulation. File name convention is A<angle>_v<velocity>_t<time>.npz where time is in seconds (or the string "final"). Each file contains several cell-based fields (pressure, temperature, specific internal energy, density), tracer fields (peak tracer pressure, x,y,z locations) and grid information (nodal and cell-centred coordinates). For an example of how to access all that information, see the "Timestep" class at the top of the "plot_frame.py" python script. Python script "plot_frame.py" will create a figure similar to the panels in Figures 2 and 3 in the paper. Use the flags -a, -V and -t to set the desired impact angle, impact velocity and time. iSALE3D input files for the 8 simulations can be found in inputfiles.tgz Postprocessing python scripts can be found in postprocessing.tgz |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3667833 |
Title | tmdavison/ComplexCraterScalingData: v1.0.1 |
Description | Dataset for "Complex crater formation by oblique impacts on the Earth and Moon" by TM Davison and GS Collins, submitted to GRL iSALE3D input files are provided for all simulations run in this study Python plotting scripts are provided to generate the figures in the paper Reduced data sets are provided to allow readers to reproduce the figures in the paper |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/7041587 |
Description | Impacts |
Organisation | Purdue University |
Department | Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | access to software, training of staff, significant intellectual input into research |
Collaborator Contribution | significant intellectual input into my research, access to software |
Impact | Several papers and conference abstracts; Impact: Earth! web page (impact.ese.ic.ac.uk) |
Description | InSight Impacts Theme Group |
Organisation | Brown University |
Department | Planetary Geosciences Group |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Numerical modelling of impact processes. Expertise in impact physics. |
Collaborator Contribution | Analysis and sharing of observational data, including spacecraft images and seismic data. |
Impact | All research papers associated with this award. Multi-disciplinary: seismology, remote sensing, geology, physics, computing. Outreach activities in support of InSight mission |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | InSight Impacts Theme Group |
Organisation | Curtin University |
Country | Australia |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Numerical modelling of impact processes. Expertise in impact physics. |
Collaborator Contribution | Analysis and sharing of observational data, including spacecraft images and seismic data. |
Impact | All research papers associated with this award. Multi-disciplinary: seismology, remote sensing, geology, physics, computing. Outreach activities in support of InSight mission |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | InSight Impacts Theme Group |
Organisation | ETH Zurich |
Country | Switzerland |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Numerical modelling of impact processes. Expertise in impact physics. |
Collaborator Contribution | Analysis and sharing of observational data, including spacecraft images and seismic data. |
Impact | All research papers associated with this award. Multi-disciplinary: seismology, remote sensing, geology, physics, computing. Outreach activities in support of InSight mission |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | InSight Impacts Theme Group |
Organisation | Paris Institute of Earth Physics |
Country | France |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Numerical modelling of impact processes. Expertise in impact physics. |
Collaborator Contribution | Analysis and sharing of observational data, including spacecraft images and seismic data. |
Impact | All research papers associated with this award. Multi-disciplinary: seismology, remote sensing, geology, physics, computing. Outreach activities in support of InSight mission |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | InSight Impacts Theme Group |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Numerical modelling of impact processes. Expertise in impact physics. |
Collaborator Contribution | Analysis and sharing of observational data, including spacecraft images and seismic data. |
Impact | All research papers associated with this award. Multi-disciplinary: seismology, remote sensing, geology, physics, computing. Outreach activities in support of InSight mission |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | InSight Impacts Theme Group |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Numerical modelling of impact processes. Expertise in impact physics. |
Collaborator Contribution | Analysis and sharing of observational data, including spacecraft images and seismic data. |
Impact | All research papers associated with this award. Multi-disciplinary: seismology, remote sensing, geology, physics, computing. Outreach activities in support of InSight mission |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Planetesimal evolution |
Organisation | Planetary Science Institute - Arizona |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | access to data, software, and significant intellectual input into your collaborator/partners research. |
Collaborator Contribution | Own time and computational resources data |
Impact | Several published papers |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | Planetesimal evolution |
Organisation | University of Chicago |
Department | Department of the Geophysical Sciences |
Country | United States |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | access to data, software, and significant intellectual input into your collaborator/partners research. |
Collaborator Contribution | Own time and computational resources data |
Impact | Several published papers |
Start Year | 2009 |
Description | Shock physics experiments |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Department of Engineering Science |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have developed a numerical toolkit for quantifying impact processing of porous solids and meteoritic material. |
Collaborator Contribution | Performed experiments in part to validate our numerical model in which the shock compression of analogue precursor chondrite material was probed using state of the art dynamic X-ray radiography |
Impact | Several papers and conference abstracts |
Start Year | 2017 |
Title | CHESS Bennu Ryugu files |
Description | Input and postprocessing files for Davison, Raducan, Collins and Bland: "Constraining the age and strength of Bennu and Ryugu using collisional history modelling" |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2020 |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3630779 |
Title | CHESS Bennu Ryugu files |
Description | Input and postprocessing files for Davison, Raducan, Collins and Bland: "Constraining the age and strength of Bennu and Ryugu using collisional history modelling" |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2020 |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3630778 |
Title | CHESS Monte Carlo model |
Description | CHESS (Collisional Histories in the Early Solar System) is a Monte Carlo statistical framework for estimating the collisional histories of asteroids in the Solar System and the collateral effects of those impacts |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2020 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | The code has so far been used in the following papers: Davison, T.M., O'Brien, D.P., Ciesla, F.J. and Collins, G.S. (2013) The early impact histories of meteorite parent bodies. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, Volume 48, Issue 10, pp. 1894-1918(25). Davison, T.M., Ciesla, F.J. and Collins, G.S. (2014) The effect of impact obliquity on shock heating in planetesimal collisions. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, Volume 49, Issue 12, pp 2252-2265(14). |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3631554 |
Title | CHESS v1.0 |
Description | CHESS: Collisional Histories in the Early Solar System This repository contains the version of CHESS used in Davison, Raducan, Collins and Bland, "Constraining the age and strength of Bennu and Ryugu using collisional history modelling". |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2020 |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3630291 |
Title | CHESS v1.0.1 |
Description | CHESS: Collisional Histories in the Early Solar System This repository contains the version of CHESS used in Davison, Raducan, Collins and Bland, "Constraining the age and strength of Bennu and Ryugu using collisional history modelling". |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2020 |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3630290 |
Title | CHESS v1.0.1 |
Description | CHESS: Collisional Histories in the Early Solar System This repository contains the version of CHESS used in Davison, Raducan, Collins and Bland, "Constraining the age and strength of Bennu and Ryugu using collisional history modelling". |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2020 |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/3631554 |
Title | iSALE shock physics code |
Description | iSALE (impact-SALE) is a multi-material, multi-rheology shock physics code for simulating high speed impacts and other violent geophysical phenomena. iSALE includes constitutive and porous-compaction models specifically developed for impact simulations. The code is being continually developed, improved and maintained by research groups at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin and Imperial College London. |
Type Of Technology | Software |
Year Produced | 2006 |
Open Source License? | Yes |
Impact | iSALE has been used in pioneering studies of the formation of large impact craters on the Earth and the influence of target property variations on crater formation, the influence of a water layer on crater formation, as well as investigating the mobility of large rock avalanches.The software has been extensively validated against laboratory experiments and used to show, for the first time in numerical simulations, the important effect of friction and porosity on crater growth in granular materials. |
URL | http://www.isale-code.github.io |
Description | A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact press release |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Press release and Imperial College News item about: A steeply-inclined trajectory for the Chicxulub impact. Collins, G.S., Patel, N., Davison, T.M., Rae, A.S.P., Morgan, J.V., Gulick, S.P.S., Nature Communications 11, 1480. (2020). The work diagnoses the direction and angle of attack of the asteroid impact responsible for the KPg extinction. The impact angle was among the deadliest possible and constrains the volume of hazardous climate changing gases injected into the atmosphere. The work received widespread international media coverage. Led to several interviews with radio, internet and print media. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.altmetric.com/details/82771548 |
Description | BBC Sky at Night (10th April 2023) Interview on Mars Sample Return |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Outreach activity describing Astrobiology and Mars Sample Return. Took place in a laboratory where scientific measurements are made. Promoting involvement in STEM for a generation that will be working or studying when samples come back from mars in the 2030s. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Expert advice given to documentary producers to guide visual effects |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Several video calls over three years with producers and researchers from Silverback Films to develop graphics about the KPg mass extinction impact for a Netflix documentary series Life on Our Planet. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021,2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBqcdkgnT1E |
Description | Friends of Imperial - Astrobiology 24 February 2022 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Public lecture on the excitements and science around Mars2020 and other missions. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.friendsofimperial.org.uk/events/astrobiology/ |
Description | Impact: Earth! |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | As part of this Fellowship and in collaboration with international colleagues I updated my very successful, interactive web program for estimating the consequences of impacts on Earth [http://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk]; from the size of the crater and the probability of such an event occurring, to the speed of the winds from the blast wave and thermal radiation from the hot vapour plume. Users of the site include the general public and scientific community, from primary and secondary school children, through university undergraduates, to professional scientists and journalists. Recent improvements include a new, more visual interface, additional features (such as predictions of tsnumai wave heights) and projection of damage contours onto Google Earth. The release of our updated web program was front-page news on the BBC website and received widespread media attention, e.g.: BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11685803 USA Today http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2010/11/asteroid-impact-calculator/1 Time http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2029288,00.html Science http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/11/scienceshot-destroy-earth-from.html?ref=hp |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | Pre-2006,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017,2018,2019,2020,2021 |
URL | http://impact.ese.ic.ac.uk |
Description | Interview about Yarrabubba impact crater |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview on BBC World News TV channel to discuss the results of paper dating the older known crater on Earth: Yarrabubba in Australia. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Interview for New York Times |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interviewed by journalist for NYT to discuss paper in Nature Astronomy about the outcomes of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
URL | https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/26/science/space/nasa-crash-asteroid-dart-study.html?unlocked_articl... |
Description | Interview for documentary about Chicxulub impact |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interviewed for BBC/PBS production documentary series about Earth History to discuss the Chicxulub impact and its environmental consequences. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Interview for national news about DART impact |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | BBC News interview with Thomas Davison the morning after the successful DART mission to explain the mission and what its success means for future asteroid deflection attempts. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Interview on radio show and podcast regarding Yarrabubba impact in Australia |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Appeared on the BBC 5 Live Science show and the Naked Scientists podcast to discuss the results of paper describing dating the oldest crater known on Earth: Yarrabubba. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.thenakedscientists.com/articles/interviews/worlds-oldest-asteroid-crater-revealed |
Description | Mole Valley Geological Society Talk Is there anybody out there, or are we alone? Astrobiology for Earthlings (11th May 2023) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk for the Mole Valley Geological Society as part of their 2023 Programme of Lectures and Field Trips |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.mvgs.org.uk/past-programmes |
Description | Moon Symphony: A musical journey through our solar system (17th June 2023) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A symphony where science drove the entire creative process, these musically crafted space-stories allow us to experience the secrets of the outer solar system whilst revealing the awe, wonder and beauty of the worlds it contains. Immerse yourself on a journey through the Moons Symphony with composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg, who will be joined in conversation in conversation with space scientist Prof. Mark Sephton from Imperial College London. This event was part of the Great Exhibition Road Festival on 17-18 June 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/moon-symphony-a-musical-journey-through-our-solar-system-tickets-6229... |
Description | Panel discussion at Sutton Trust Summer School |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Took part in a panel discussion about my research and research careers for the Sutton Trust Summer School at Imperial College London, which is aims to support state school students from backgrounds under-represented at university and Imperial. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/be-inspired/schools-outreach/secondary-schools/summer-schools/sutton-trus... |
Description | Planetary Radio Live in London: The Moons Symphony |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Host Mat Kaplan has returned from the UK and the recording of The Moons Symphony by the London Symphony Orchestra. You'll hear excerpts from our Planetary Radio Live show celebrating this intersection of art and science with composer Amanda Lee Falkenberg and three distinguished planetary scientists. It was produced at Imperial College London before a live audience. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/2022-planetary-radio-live-moons-symphony |
Description | Research talk and panel discussion for Sutton Trust summer school |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Gave a research talk about collision in the solar system and took part in a panel discussion about research careers to the Sutton Trust Summer School at Imperial College. This summer school is targeted at supporting state school students from backgrounds under-represented at university and Imperial. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/be-inspired/schools-outreach/secondary-schools/summer-schools/sutton-trus... |
Description | Spoke to 60 primary school children about asteroid impacts |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Spoke to 60 year 4 students at a local school about asteroids, impact craters and meteorites |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Talk at local primary school to 240 students |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Gave talk to ~240 students from years 3-6 at a local primary school (Elmhurst School, Aylesbury) about asteroids, impact craters and NASA's DART mission |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Talk to 120 primary school children about asteroids and the DART mission |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Gave talk to ~120 students from years 4 and 5 at a local primary school (Aylesbury Vale Academy) about asteroids, impact craters and NASA's DART mission |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | The Great Exhibition Road Festival 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The Great Exhibition Road Festival is a free annual celebration of science and the arts each summer in South Kensington and online (https://www.greatexhibitionroadfestival.co.uk/about-us/). This event was "Finding aliens around Jupiter" (Thursday 31 March 13.00-14.00). It was a free online event (https://www.greatexhibitionroadfestival.co.uk/event/finding-aliens-around-jupiter/) and was described as below: "Create your own 'astroart' as we explore the life we might find swimming around an alien ocean. Could extra-terrestrial life be swimming in an alien ocean in orbit around Jupiter? The icy moon Europa was first observed by Galileo as a dot orbiting Jupiter. However, it was the 20th century discovery of an icy crust and evidence of a water ocean beneath that captured the interest of scientists. Through the years, many have wondered what could be swimming around in this vast water ocean. Scientists like Astrobiologist Tara Salter hope to find some answers in the next decade as the NASA Europa Clipper mission arrives looking for signs of life. In this Explore at Home event Tara will explain what we might find as artist Ash Wheeler shows you how to create your own out of this world alien landscape art." |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.greatexhibitionroadfestival.co.uk/event/finding-aliens-around-jupiter/ |