Planetary Seminar - Fall 2025 Seminars
Innovation in Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy for Space Exploration
Date: October 3, 2025 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Location: 3853 Slichter Hall
Presented by: e.g., Prof. Nadja Drabon — TBD
High-resolution spectroscopy is essential for resolving fine spectral features that reveal important physical processes in planetary, astrophysical, and heliophysical environments. However, traditional high-R instruments are large, complex, and incompatible with compact or distributed space platforms. We present a new generation of Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy (SHS) systems that overcome these limitations through a fully integrated, all-reflective, and monolithic design. Optimized for the FUV/EUV regime (10–200 nm), our SHS architecture delivers resolving powers of R ~20,000–100,000 in a compact form factor (<2U volume, <10 kg), making it ideal for CubeSats, SmallSats, and deep-space missions. We highlight critical system-level innovations, including thermal, optomechanical, and detector interfacing, as well as a validated performance model that includes sensor and electronics noise, optomechancial alignment tolerance, calibration and operation stability. These developments establish SHS as a scalable, high-fidelity spectroscopic solution for the next generation of space science missions.
Astronomical instruments on a chip – Getting ready for the next-generation telescopes
Date: October 24, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: 3853 Slichter Hall
Presented by: Pradip Gatkine — TBA
TBA
Searching for Life in all the Right Places: From dry riverbeds on Mars to Alien Oceans beyond the Asteroid Belt
Date: November 14, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: 3853 Slichter Hall
Presented by: Kevin Hand — TBA
TBA
Teghaza 001: The first pre-Noachian igneous sample from Mars
Date: December 5, 2025 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Location: 3853 Slichter Hall
Presented by: Yang Liu — TBA
TBA