Congratulations, Dr. Lock!
Dr. Simon Lock has completed his dissertation on "The formation, structure and evolution of terrestrial planets." He is now a postdoctoral researcher at Caltech.
The CLEVER Planets Team
We are pleased to announce the launch of CLEVER Planets (the Cycling of Life-Essential Volatile Elements on Rocky Planets), a NASA NExSS team investigating the necessary chemistry for a rocky planet to host life. UC Davis [...]
New Model for Lunar Origin
We present a new model for lunar accretion with a terrestrial synestia. The Moon is depleted in volatile elements compared to Earth. Our model explains the pattern and magnitude of depletion of these elements. The [...]
New postdocs!
Welcome to Bethany Chidester and Megan Duncan!
Planet Cakes!
The Origins Group finds many reasons to throw a party. The latest reason was making planet cakes! We made Jupiter and Earth with Pangea. (Image gallery -- click on the cakes)
Synestia, a New Type of Planetary Object
Graduate student Simon Lock and Sarah Stewart define and explain a new type of planetary object. A synestia is formed by a giant impact. Synestias are an important stage of terrestrial planet formation, leading to mixing [...]