Emily Schaller Now at: NASA Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility National Suborbital Education and Research Center emily.schaller(at)nasa.gov Hubble Postdoctoral Fellow University of Hawaii and University of Arizona (2008-2011) Education: B.A. Physics and Earth Science double major, Dartmouth College, 2002 M.S. Planetary Science, Caltech, 2004 PhD Planetary Science, Caltech, 2008

---

Publications:

CV:

Research Interests:

Current:


• Titan Meteorology
  
  The channels, lakes and rivers that have been seen by Cassini/Hugyens were likely formed by liquid methane that rained down on Titan's surface. In order to understand this methane-based hydrological cycle, one of the best pieces of data we have are observations of Titan's clouds (Schaller et al. 2006a and 2006b). Recently, I have developed a ground-based cloud monitoring program with IRTF. This program, combined with occasional adaptive optics images from Keck and images from Cassini flybys will help us to understand how Titan's meteorological cycle changes during its 29-year long season (Schaller et al. 2008).
  
  Our frequent monitoring of Titan recently paid off with the detection of a large cloud system in Titan's tropical latitudes.
  Check out the Nature paper describing the results here:
  Also, here are some popular articles describing our work
  Sky & Telescope
  Universe Today
  
  
• Surfaces of Kuiper Belt Objects
  
  Unlike Pluto and Eris, the vast majority of Kuiper belt objects are too small and too hot to retain volatile ices like methane, molecular nitrogen and carbon monoxide on their surfaces to the present day. As a result, their infrared spectra are either dominated by involatile water ice or dark featureless material (Barkume et al. 2007). To understand the dichotomy between volatile rich and volatile free surfaces in the outer solar system, we constructed a simple model of atmospheric escape of volatile ices over the age of the solar system (Schaller and Brown 2007a). An interesting prediction of this model is that Quaoar, an object about half the size of Pluto, should be just capable of retaining volatile ices to the present day. We observed Quaoar with NIRSPEC on the Keck Telescope and found that it does indeed contain methane ice on its surface. (Schaller and Brown 2007b).
  
  In addition to understanding the distribution of volatile ices in the outer solar system, I have also begun searching for objects that have the same signature of pure water ice as the Haumea collisional family members (Schaller & Brown 2008). Identification of these new family members will significantly increase our understanding of the collision physics, the subsequent dynamics, and the chemistry resulting from this giant impact in the outer solar system.
  
  Previous:
• Mars Surface Geology
  Schaller et al. 2005
  
• Supernova Remnants
  Schaller et al. 2002

Figure Skating:

• Dartmouth

  Caltech

Useful Links:

• ephemerides
• simbad
• ADS
• Keck schedule
• IRTF
• Hawaii weather
• NM Skies
• PDS

Contact:

• email: emily.schaller(at)nasa.gov
• address:

  NASA Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility

  2825 E Ave P

  Palmdale, CA 93550

• phone: (701) 317 0789