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Abstract: The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is NASA’s wide-field optical astrophysical observatory exploring the bright and time-variable sky. Since its launch in 2018, TESS has discovered over 500 confirmed exoplanets and over 6000 additional candidates await confirmation. Dozens of these planets’ atmospheres have been or soon will be explored by the Hubble and Webb Space Telescopes.
Abstract: Most of the observable matter in the universe is plasma, and therefore understanding its behavior is important for a variety of space, astrophysical and laboratory applications. An active topic of research in recent years has been magnetic reconnection, a process by which magnetic fields diffuse in plasma, leading to a change in magnetic field topology, an explosive release of stored magnetic energy, and the formation of jets.
Abstract: Clouds have long represented a significant source of uncertainty in the estimation of the Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) from space- or airborne imagery observations. In passive cloud remote sensing, three-dimensional (3D) cloud structures observed in nature are often captured as homogeneous (1D) representations. On the one hand, this limits our ability to access process-level understanding of interactions playing out in an inhomogeneous atmosphere.
Abstract: Ever wondered how the US Federal budget gets developed, and how this impacts NASA funding? How certain programs or missions get cut and then later come back to life? What you can do when your particular favorite mission gets axed? Don’t get angry – get creative! Dr. Loschnigg will give an overview of the U.S. Federal budget process, with a focus on how NASA mission and program lines get funded, and how the Congressional appropriations process can sometimes counteract Presidential direction.