OverviewThe field of Planetary and Space Physics is fundamentally interdisciplinary, and requires a depth and breadth of expertise impossible to house in a single department. At Georgia Tech, our group spans several schools on campus to reflect this crucial diversity of expertise. You’ll find planetary scientists housed in Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, in Chemistry, in Physics, and in Electrical Engineering, complemented by a NASA Astrobiology Institute team in Biology and several Aerospace Engineering groups pursuing planetary mission design. Scientific research spans from planetary interiors to surfaces and atmospheres, all the way out to the ‘edge’ of a planet’s near space environment. We employ a broad range of methods, from physical and geochemical modeling to laboratory and field work to analysis of data from ongoing space missions, such as the Cassini mission to Saturn and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Faculty & Research Interests• Dr. Joe Dufek

My planetary research focuses on the fluid dynamics of melt in the subsurface and eruption dynamics.

Currently we are working on melt intrusion in the Martian crust, eruption dynamics on the surface of Mars, plume dynamics on Enceladus, and magma dynamics on Io. This work complements our terrestrial

numerical, experimental and fieldwork on multiphase flow.

• Dr. Thom Orlando Our group is primarily a surface chemistry andphysics group focusing on the use of high-poweredpulsed lasers, low-energy electron scattering, micro-plasmas, mass spectrometry and ultrahigh vacuumsurface science techniques. Current planetaryinterests include Mercury’s exosphere, water on theMoon, Saturn’s rings, comets, and prebiotic chemistry

on Titan and in the interstellar medium.

• Dr. Carol PatyOur research encompasses the interactions of charged particles in electric and magnetic fields; this includes research related to planetary magnetospheres, icy

moon-magnetosphere interactions, ion-neutral interactions, aurora, plasma dynamic simulations, and

atmospheric electrodynamics.

• Dr. James SowellMain pursuits include naked-eye phenomena, such

as the motion of the sunset, the phases of the Moon, and the planetary positions amongst the stars,

along with public education.

• Dr. Paul SteffesOur group is conducting laboratory measurements to support microwave remote sensing of planetary

atmospheres, and is involved in the execution of spacecraft-based radio occultation measurements and

Earth- and space-based radio astronomical measurements. We’re currently involved with NASA’s Juno mission.

• Dr. James WraySpacecraft images and spectra reveal the morphology and composition of planetary surfaces, which we use to infer past or present geologic processes, especially those

that bear on planetary habitability.  We focus on Mars and on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn that may have liquid oceans.

Research ScientistsDr. Gregory Grieves

Dr. Jason McLainDr. Jeremy Riousset

Other EAS Research Areas•Atmospheric Chemistry,

Aerosols & Clouds•Paleoclimate•Geochemistry•Dynamics of Weather and

Climate•Geophysics•Oceanography and Climate•Remote Sensing

Michele DawleyKiruthika Devaraj

Chuanfei DongDanny DuongKatie MilwayAlexia Payan

Michael PostonAshok Rajendar

Jenn Telling

Graduate Students

Application Requirements•B.S. or M.S. in any field of

geophysical, physical or environmental science•GPA: 3.0/4.0 & Higher•Graduate Record Exam (GRE)•TOEFL > 79 (International

Students)

Planetary and Space

Physics

Degree RequirementsM.S. Students•Course: 30 Credit Hours•Thesis or Non-Thesis

Ph.D. Students•EAS Course: 15 Credit Hours•Minor Course: 9 Credit Hours•Academic Breadth•Comprehensive Exam•Doctoral Examination

Application TargetJanuary 15

Admissions: Dr. Kim Cobbkim.cobb@eas.gatech.edu

Information: Kathy Plummerplummer@eas.gatech.edu

Application Materials•Application Form (Online)•Personal Statement•Recommendation Letters (3)•Official Transcripts (each school)•Test Scores (GRE and/or TOEFL)

EAS Opportunities•Research field missions•State-of-the-art laboratories•Local environmental monitoring•Broad range of computing

resources•Interdisciplinary seminar series

Financial Assistance•Graduate Assistantships (RA/TA)•Full Tuition Payment•National and Local Fellowships•Professional Conferences

School of Earth & Atmospheric Science

Related Courses (each student takes a subset based on specific interests)

•Aqueous Geochemistry•Atmospheric Radiative Transfer•Earth System Modeling•Geochemical Kinetics•Geochemical Thermodynamics•Geodynamics•Geofluids•Introduction to Geophysics•Introduction to Space Physics

and Space Instrumentation•Isotope Geochemistry•Remote Sensing of the

Atmosphere and Oceans•Physical Hydrology•Physical Volcanology•Physics of Planets