Goddard Space Flight Center
Planetary Systems Laboratory

Planetary Systems Laboratory


Picture of Michael Flasar

F. Michael Flasar

Planetary Systems Laboratory
NASA/GSFC, Code 693.0
Greenbelt, MD 20771

Phone: (301) 286-3071

Email: Michael Flasar


Current Position


    Principal Investigator, Planetary Systems Laboratory

Education


EDUCATION: 1967 B.S., Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1972 Ph.D., Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES:


American Astronomical Society
Division for Planetary Sciences/AAS
American Geophysical Union

Professional Experience


    RESEARCH EXPERIENCE: Meteorology and Dynamics of Planetary Atmospheres, Infrared Remote Sensing, Radio Science, Planetary Interiors, Extragalactic Astrophysics.

    Research Activities:
  • 1990- Cassini Composite Interferometer Spectrometer (CIRS) Investigation
  • (Principal Investigator, 2002- )
  • 1990- Cassini Radio Science Team Member
  • 1991-99 P.I., Planetary Atmospheres Program
  • 1992-95 Mars Observer/Mars Global Surveyor Participating Scientist
  • 1994-98 Investigator, Galileo/GEM Radio Propagation Team
  • 1991-94 Co.I., Neptune Data Analysis Program
  • 1987-90 P.I., Uranus Data Analysis Program
  • 1981-83 Co.I., Jupiter Data Analysis Program
  • 1980-92 Co.I., Voyager IR Spectroscopy expt. (IRIS)
  • 1979-81 P.I., Mars Data Analysis Program


  • Appointments:
    1977 - Astrophysicist, Space Sciences, Planetary Systems Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center
    1988 - 2001 Research Professor, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University
    1975 - 1977 NRC Resident Research Associate, Laboratory for Planetary Atmospheres, Goddard Space Flight Center
    1971 - 1975 Research Fellow, Center for Earth and Planetary Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Selected Publications


2005  "Temperatures, Winds, and Composition in the Saturnian System," F. M. Flasar, R. Achterberg, B. Conrath, J. Pearl, G. L. Bjoraker, D. Jennings, P. Romani, A. Simon-Miller, V. Kunde, C. Nixon, B.Bézard, G. Orton, L. Spilker, J. R. Spencer, P. Irwin, N. Teanby, T. Owen , J. Brasunas, M. Segura, R. Carlson, A. Mamoutkine, P. Gierasch, P. Schinder, M. Showalter, C. Ferrari, A. Barucci, R. Courtin, A. Coustenis, T. Fouchet,, D. Gautier, E. Lellouch, A.Marten, R. Prangé, D. Strobel, S. Calcutt, P. Read, F. Taylor, N. Bowles, R. Samuelson, M. Abbas, F. Raulin, P. Ade, S. Edgington, S. Pilorz, B. Wallis, and E. Wishnow, Science 307, 1247-1251.

2005  "Titan's Atmospheric Temperatures, Winds, and Composition," F. M. Flasar, R. Achterberg, B. Conrath, P. Gierasch, V. Kunde, C. Nixon, G. L. Bjoraker, D. Jennings, P. Romani, A. Simon-Miller, B.Bézard, A. Coustenis, P. Irwin, N. Teanby, J. Brasunas, J. Pearl, M. Segura, R. Carlson, A. Mamoutkine, P. Schinder, A. Barucci, R. Courtin, T. Fouchet,, D. Gautier, E. Lellouch, A.Marten, R. Prangé, S. Vinatier, D. Strobel, S. Calcutt, P. Read, F. Taylor, N. Bowles, R. Samuelson, G. Orton, L. Spilker, T. Owen, J. R. Spencer, M. Showalter, C. Ferrari, M. Abbas, F. Raulin, S. Edgington, P. Ade, and E. Wishnow, Science 308, 975-978.

2005  "The Cloud Structure of Jupiter's Atmosphere as Seen by the Cassini/CIRS Experiment," K. I. Matcheva, B. J. Conrath, P. J. Gierasch, and F. M. Flasar, Icarus, in press.

2005  "Jupiter's Atmospheric Temperatures:from Voyager IRIS to Cassini CIRS," A. Simon-Miller, B. Conrath, P. Gierasch, G. Orton, R. Achterberg, F. M. Flasar, and B. Fisher, Icarus, in press.

2004  "The Nitrogen Isotopic Ratio in Jupiter's Atmosphere from Observations by the Composite Infrared Spectrometer on the Cassini Spacecraft," Abbas, M. M., LeClair, A., Owen, T., B. J. Conrath, F. M. Flasar, V. G. Kunde, C. A. Nixon, R. K. Achterberg, G. Bjoraker, D. J. Jennings, G. Orton, and P. N. Romani, Astrophys. J. 602, 1063-1074.

2004  "Identification of the 10-μm Ammonia Ice Feature on Jupiter," M. H. Wong, G. L. Bjoraker, M. D. Smith, F. M. Flasar, and C. A. Nixon, Planet. Space Sci. 52, 385-395.

2004  "An Intense Stratospheric Jet on Jupiter," F. M. Flasar, V. Kunde, R. Achterberg, B. Conrath, A. Simon-Miller, C. Nixon, P. Gierasch, P. Romani, B.Bézard, P. Irwin, G. L. Bjoraker, J. Brasunas, D. Jennings, J. Pearl, M. Smith, G. Orton, L. Spilker, R. Carlson,S. Calcutt, P. Read, F. Taylor, P. Parrish, A. Barucci, R. Courtin, A. Coustenis, D. Gautier, E. Lellouch, A.Marten, R. Prangé, Y. Biraud, T. Fouchet, C. Ferrari, T. Owen, M. Abbas, R. Samuelson, F. Raulin, P. Ade, C. Césarsky, K. Grossman and A. Coradini, Nature 427, 132-135.

2004  "Jupiter's Atmospheric Composition from the Cassini Thermal Infrared Spectroscopy Experiment," V. G. Kunde, F. M. Flasar , D. E. Jennings, B. Bézard, D. F. Strobel, B. J. Conrath, G. L. Bjoraker, C. A. Nixon, A. A. Simon-Miller, P. Irwin, J. Brasunas, J. Pearl, M. Smith, G. Orton, L. Spilker, R. Carlson, S. Calcutt, P. Read, F. Taylor, P. Parrish, A. Barucci, R. Courtin, A. Coustenis, D. Gautier, E. Lellouch, A.Marten, R. Prangé, Y. Biraud, T. Fouchet, C. Ferrari, T. Owen, M. Abbas, R. Samuelson, F. Raulin, P. Ade, C. Césarsky, K. Grossman, and A. Coradini, Science 305, 1582-1586.

2004  "Exploring the Saturn System in the Thermal Infrared: The Composite Infrared Spectrometer," F. M. Flasar, V. Kunde, M. Abbas, R. Achterberg, P. Ade, A. Barucci, B. Bézard, G. Bjoraker, J. Brasunas, S.Calcutt, R. Carlson, C. Césarsky, B. J. Conrath, A. Coradini, R. Courtin, A. Coustenis, S. Edberg, S. Edgington, C. Ferrari, D. Gautier, P. Gierasch, K. Grossman, P. Irwin, D. Jennings, E. Lellouch, A. Marten, J.Meyer, C. Nixon, G. Orton, T. Owen, J. Pearl, R. Prangé, F. Raulin, P. Read, P. Romani, R. Samuelson, M.Segura, M. Showalter, A. Simon-Miller, M. Smith, J. Spencer, L. Spilker, and F. Taylor, Space Sci. Rev. 115, 169-297.

2004  "Cassini Radio Science," A. J. Kliore, J. D. Anderson, J. W. Armstrong, S. W. Asmar, C. L. Hamilton, N. J. Rappaport, H. D. Wahlquist, R. Ambrosini, F. M. Flasar, R. G. French, L. Iess, E. A. Marouf, and A. F. Nagy, Space Sci. Rev. 115, 1-70.

2002  "New Observational Results Concerning Jupiter's Great Red Spot," A. A. Simon-Miller, P. J. Gierasch, R. F. Beebe, B. Conrath, F. M. Flasar, R. K. Achterberg, and the Cassini CIRS Team, Icarus 158, 249-266.

2002  "Ionosphere of Callisto from Galileo Radio Occultation Observations," A. J. Kliore, A. Anabtawi, R. G. Herrera, S. W. Asmar, A. F. Nagy, D. P. Hinson, and F. M. Flasar, J. Geophys. Res. 107,

2001  "Interaction of Gravity Waves with Ionospheric Plasma: Implications for Jupiter's Ionosphere," K. I. MATCHEVA, D. F. STROBEL, AND F. M. FLASAR, Icarus 152, 347-365.