SSI's Research Branch scientists (both on-site and off-site) participate in a broad array of space science activities, including earth science, space physics, planetary science, and astrophysics. Our research team's expertise continues to expand, and now encompasses investigations of phenomenon on Earth and the geospace environment surrounding our planet. Our scientists study the atmospheres and surfaces of other bodies in our Solar System as well as explore the early stages of the life cycles of stars and nascent planetary systems around other stars. We also study the mysteries of quasars and other types of distant galaxies.

SSI researchers are closely connected to the operations of current astrophysical space facilities such as the SOFIA airborne observatory, and the Kepler, Spitzer, and Hubble Space Telescopes. Closer to home, several SSI researchers focus on Mars research through active participation in the ongoing Mars Exploration Rovers and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions, as well as the Mars Curiosity Rover mission that began with a successful landing in August, 2012. SSI’s off-site and on-site researchers form a network of naturally entrepreneurial scientists who support themselves through a mixture of grants and contracts. Our organization and infrastructure allow for dynamic, collaborative efforts among individuals in fields of research that are typically separated in academic institutions. In this spirit, we continue to look for new creative interdisciplinary opportunities

The Off-Site Research Option

SSI has been a pioneer in remote employment, a mode that has been particularly conducive to our researchers for whom the traditional university or research center is not a viable option. The long-distance nature of most scientific collaborative research lends itself well to the option of remote employment. Access to significant computational resources no longer requires large institutional support. Furthermore, most academic journals and professional proceedings are fully accessible through digital subscriptions, greatly mitigating the need for institutional libraries. Instrument development, which does require significant institutional support, can be done in collaboration with local facilities such as those at Lockheed Martin Corporation and Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation.

Researcher Locations

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Research Centers

SSI currently has five research centers:

  • Center for Space Plasma Physics (CSPP)
    The mission of CSPP is to carry out scientific research that will increase our understanding of fundamental and applied aspects of space plasmas.

  • Center for Extrasolar Planetary Systems (CEPS)
    The mission of CEPS is to carry out scientific research that will increase our understanding of the characteristics of extrasolar planets and the diverse systems in which they are found.

  • Center for Mars Science (CMS)
    The focus of CMS is to provide synergistic science opportunities between existing Mars surface and atmospheric research efforts.

  • Center for Polarimetric Remote Sensing (CPRS)
    The mission is to expand our capabilities in retrieving information obtained using photopolarimetry.

  • and Center for Data Science (CDS)
    The mission is to bring together domain experts in space sciences and highly skilled corporate talents sharing a common interest in Data Science and Machine Learning.

Center for Space Plasma Physics

CSPP Chair, Dr. Joe Borovsky, Los Alamos, NM Office

Solar Flare

Image credt: NASA
In 2013, CSPP initiated a diverse research effort involving theory, spaceflight-data analysis, and ground-based experiments aimed at increasing our understanding of the plasma physics of the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere and ionosphere. Research highlights include the development of novel spacecraft-data analysis techniques that examine the nature and characteristics of plasma waves and fluctuations at very small scale sizes, the development and analysis of computer simulations of these types of waves in the solar-wind plasma, advancing the theoretical understanding of magnetic-field-line reconnection in plasmas, and the application of reconnection theories to the interaction of the solar wind with Earth's magnetosphere. Related research highlights for the ionosphere were the development of techniques to exploit ionospheric radar, optical, and magnetic-field measurements to remotely monitor the rate of magnetic-field-line reconnection between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere and the optical observation of the airglow from energetic electrons precipitating from the magnetosphere into the upper atmosphere triggered by the turn-on of a powerful military ground-based VLF transmitter. In 2013, the 7 members of CSPP published 28 papers in refereed journals: 13 papers as primary authors and 15 papers as contributing authors

In September 2013, CSPP hosted a week-long, SSI-sponsored, international workshop entitled "10th Cambridge Workshop on Magnetic Reconnection" (http://www.spacescience.org/icwm/). The workshop, organized by Dr. Joachim Birn, was held at the historic Hotel La Fonda in Santa Fe, NM. The Cambridge Workshop series originated in 2004 as a month-long workshop in Cambridge, England. Because of the success of this event, participants decided to continue collaboration through annual weeklong workshops, alternating between Europe and the United States. The focus of the Santa Fe workshop was three-fold: recent progress in reconnection physics, outstanding questions, and future research.

Center for Extrasolar Planetary Systems

CEPS Chair, Dr. Channon Visscher, Sioux Center, IA Office

Website

Extrasolar Planet Discoveries

Image credt: NASA Ames/SETI/J Rowe
The study of extrasolar planets and planetary systems is one of the fastest growing and most exciting fields within astronomy and astrophysics. Recognizing the importance and timelines of the field, SSI inaugurated the Center for Extrasolar Planetary Systems (CEPS) in 2012 as part of the Institute's long-term strategic plan. The mission of this center is to carry out scientific research that will increase our understanding of the characteristics of extrasolar planets and the diverse systems in which they are found

Because the field is by nature multidisciplinary, CEPS brings together astronomers, physicists, atmospheric scientists, and planetary scientists to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and expertise. Current research focus areas for CEPS include studies of the physical properties of planet-hosting stars, the chemistry and physics of exoplanet atmospheres, the influence of the host star on the planet and/or system characteristics, the formation and evolution of planetary systems, and the signatures of planetary formation as reflected in debris disks.

In 2014, the twelve CEPS members published more than 70 refereed scientific articles, including papers on asteroseismology and related analyses of the physical properties of Kepler stars, observational and theoretical characterization of protoplanetary disks, theoretical investigations of chemical processes affecting exoplanet atmospheric composition, and strategic planning for extrasolar planetary system observations with future missions such as the James Webb Telescope and PLATO 2.0. In 2014, CEPS also created a web site (http://ceps.spacescience.org/home-page.html), accessible through SSI's main page, to highlight research being done by center members and to provide an interface with the public and other researchers in the exoplanet field. Throughout 2014, individual CEPS members have interpreted data from space-based and ground-based telescopes, performed theoretical modeling calculations, written journal articles, presented conference talks, and submitted proposals to NASA, NSF, and various other funding agencies, including observatories. Such activities will continue in the coming years as CEPS members seek to further our understanding of the amazing diversity of planetary systems beyond our solar neighborhood.

Center for Mars Science

CMS Chair, Dr. Bill Farrand, Boulder, CO Office

Marathon Valley

'Marathon Valley' overlook, Mars. Image credt: NASA/ASU
The SSI Center for Mars Science continues to serve as a focal point for SSI researchers involved in Mars studies. The center has periodic "Journal Club" telecons where center researchers share aspects of their work. The center is also involved in outreach activities. Center director Dr. Bill Farrand and fellow SSI researcher Dr. Mike Wolff will be participating in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science "Space Day" celebration on May 31 in 2015. Dr. Farrand will also be presenting Mars science research results to the general public by being a member of a space science panel at the Denver Comic Con in late May 2015.



Center for Polarimetric Remote Sensing

CPRS Chair, Dr. Gorden Videen, Silver Spring, MD Office

Reflectance/Polarization Graph

Intensity and linear-polarization response from power-law size distributions of
agglomerated debris particles having different refractive indices.
The study of the polarized nature of light provides critical insights into numerous physical phenomena, including: planetary surfaces, cosmic dust, interstellar magnetic fields, planetary atmospheres, star and planet formation, and active galactic nuclei, to name just a few. The detection and measurement of polarized light are highly specialized areas of astronomical observations and instrumentation development. SSI’s Center for Polarimetric Remote Sensing (CPRS) will bring together scientists who are interested in using polarization as a remote-sensing tool in understanding their individual research areas, capitalizing on a number of senior researchers at SSI with extensive experience in the field. The CPRS will also focus on education and public engagement activities that expose students and the general public to the nature of polarized light, and its utility in science and technology.

Center for Data Science

CDS Chair, Dr. Bala Poduval, Boulder, CO

Word cloud

Image credit: Camelia.boban
The Center for Data Science (CDS) is an initiative to bring together domain experts in space sciences and highly skilled corporate talents sharing a common interest in Data Science and Machine Learning. Data Science and Machine Learning have profound impacts on the way scientific problems are conceived, conceptualized, and addressed today. Currently, they exist as possibilities that are gradually being inducted into the Space Sciences to augment their analytical and predictive performances. As an organization of scientists, CDS envisions to inspire the scientific community to utilize key insights on emerging technologies, transforming this possibility into reality. The societal impact of Data Science has grown considerably due to recent advances in the field, further enhanced by GPUs, big data tools and cloud computing. The Center will seek innovative collaborations with the private sector in the field, facilitating sophisticated algorithms and computational platforms. CDS will focus on arranging workshops and webinars on statistical tools, algorithms and libraries to benchmark them for their applications in the space sciences. Since "crunching big data" calls for advanced computing facilities, making GPUs and Cloud computing more accessible and affordable are among our priorities. Further, the Center will work towards broadening the range of available funding sources for space science research and advocating the inclusion of data science in academic curricula.

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Research Team

Ralph Shuping

Deputy Director, Acting Director of Research, Senior Research Scientist
Astronomy and Astrophysics

Mel Abler

Research Scientist
Space Physics

Peter Barnes

Senior Research Scientist
Astronomy/Astrophysics

Franz Bauer

Affiliate Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Joachim Birn

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Stanislav Boldyrev

Senior Research Scientist
Space Plasma Physics

Joe Borovsky

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Athanasios Boudouridis

Research Scientist
Space Physics

Ryan Boyden

Research Associate
Astronomy

Ed Chambers

Research Scientist
Astronomy and Astrophysics

Ben Clark

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Geoff Clayton

Affiliate Senior Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Shoshanna Cole

Research Scientist
Planetary Science

Patrick Colestock

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Kristina Collins

Postdoc Research Associate
Electric Engineering

Kyle Connour

Research Assistant
Planetary Sciences and Astrophysics

Maria Dainotti

Affiliate Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Mick Denton

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Curtis DeWitt

Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Seth Dorfman

Research Scientist
Space Physics

Ulyana Dyudina

Affiliate Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Bill Farrand

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Bill Farrell

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Jonathan Fraine

Affiliate Research Scientist
Astronomy

Richard French

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Science

Konstantin Gamayunov

Affiliate Research Scientist
Space Physics

Melvyn Goldstein

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Joe Hahn

Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Heidi Hammel

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Michael Hartinger

Research Scientist
Space Physics

Karl Kappler

Research Scientist
Geoscience

Nicole Karnath

Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Patrick Kilian

Research Associate
Plasma Physics

Larisza Krista

Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Bhanu Kumar

Affiliate Research Scientist
Space Physics

Giovanni Lapenta

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Steve Lee

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Mark Lemmon

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Junjun Liu

Affiliate Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Daniel Lo

Affiliate Research Scientist
Planetary Science

Derck Massa

Senior Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Timothy McConnochie

Research Scientist
Planetary Science

Iain McDonald

Affiliate Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Frank Mills

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Luca Montabone

Affiliate Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Julie Moses

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Ameneh Mousavi

Research Associate
Space Physics

Thomas Navarro

Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Yuri Omelchenko

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Eric Omelian

Senior Research Associate
Astrophysics

Mikki Osterloo

Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Alexey Pankine

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Christopher Parkinson

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Karly Pitman

Executive Director & Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences & Astrophysics

Jorge Pla-Garcia

Affiliate Research Associate
Planetary Sciences

John Podesta

Affiliate Research Scientist
Space Physics

Bala Poduval

Affiliate Research Scientist
Space Weather

Bill Reach

Senior Research Scientist
Astronomy

Viviana Rosero

Affiliate Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Vadim Roytershteyn

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics

Susan Sakimoto

Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Michelle Salzano

Research Associate
Geospace Physics

Brad Sandor

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences & Terrestrial Atmospheres

Quintin Schiller

Research Scientist
Space Physics

Peter Scicluna

Affiliate Research Scientist
Astronomy

Jack Scudder

Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Mike Sitko

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences & Astrophysics

Kate Su

Affiliate Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Regner Trampedach

Research Scientist
Stellar Astrophysics

David Trang

Affiliate Research Scientist
Planetary Science

Gorden Videen

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Channon Visscher

Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Chuji Wang

Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Simon Wing

Affiliate Research Scientist
Space Physics

Mike Wolff

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences & Astrophysics

Padma Yanamandra-Fisher

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Emeritus

Todd Clancy

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Jay Goguen

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Phil James

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Dayton Jones

Senior Research Scientist
Planetary Sciences

Ann Wehrle

Senior Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Barb Whitney

Senior Research Scientist
Astrophysics

In Memoriam

Babar Ali

Affiliate Research Scientist
Astrophysics

Joshua Bandfield

In Memoriam
Planetary Sciences

Peter Gary

Senior Research Scientist
Space Physics