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Gierasch, Peter Jay
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Positions
- Professor, Astronomy (ASTRO), College of Arts and Sciences
Research Areas
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Affiliations
Research
research overview
- Peter Gierasch's research is on the dynamics and thermal structure of planetary atmospheres. The general objective is to advance understanding in atmospheric science by studying the range of behaviors exhibited on the different planets. Topics of particular interest to him are the zonal jets of Jupiter and Saturn, the cloud structure and energy balance of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, the general circulation and strong super rotation of the atmosphere of Venus, and Martian atmospheric dust and its influence on climate. This work depends on data from spacecraft. Gierasch has been involved in the NASA Viking orbiter-lander mission to Mars, the Pioneer Venus mission, and the Voyager flybys of the outer planets. He was an interdisciplinary scientist on the Galileo orbiter-probe mission to Jupiter and is a member of the infrared spectroscopy experiment on the Cassini Saturn orbiter and Titan probe mission. Gierasch participates in planning of observations, in data analysis, and in interpretation, including modeling. During the next few years his research will focus on data analysis from the Galileo and Cassini missions, and onthe theorectical work concerning the thermodynamics and stability of flows on the outer planets.
principal investigator on
- DYNAMICS OF PLUTO'S ATMOSPHERE awarded by NATL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADM 2011 - 2013
- OUTER PLANETS ATMOSPHERIC STRUCTURE AND PARTICIPATION IN CIRS awarded by NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER 2012 - 2014
- SATURN LIMB STUDIES: HELIUM, WINDS, AND COMPOSITION awarded by NATL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADM 2009 - 2013
- ZONAL MEAN MERIDIONAL CIRCULATION ON TITAN AND SATURN awarded by NATL AERONAUTICS & SPACE ADM 2011 - 2014
co-principal investigator on
- HAZE, METHANE AND PARA-HYDROGEN DISTRIBUTIONS ON URANUS AND NEPTUNE awarded by NASA SHARED SERVICES CENTER 2009 - 2013
Publications
individual publications
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academic article
- Longitudinal variation and waves in Jupiter's south equatorial wind jet. Icarus. 218:817-830. 2012
- Temporal variations of Titan’s middle-atmospheric temperatures from 2004 to 2009 observed by Cassini/CIRS. Icarus. 211:686-698. 2011
- Thermal tides on Pluto. Icarus. 208:402-411. 2010
- Saturn’s emitted power. Journal of Geophysical Research. 115. 2010
- Mapping potential vorticity dynamics on Saturn: Zonal mean circulation from Cassini and Voyager data. Planetary and Space Science. 57:1682-1698. 2009
- Determining a tilt in Titan’s north-south albedo asymmetry from Cassini images. Icarus. 203:242-249. 2009
- Nonconservation of Ertel potential vorticity in hydrogen atmospheres. Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences. 61:1953-1965. 2004
- New Observational Results Concerning Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Icarus. 158:249-266. 2002
- Color and the Vertical Structure in Jupiter's Belts, Zones, and Weather Systems. Icarus. 154:459-474. 2001
- Near-IR Spectrophotometry of Saturnian Aerosols--Meridional and Vertical Distribution. Icarus. 152:407-422. 2001
- Observation of moist convection in Jupiter's atmosphere. Nature. 403:628-630. 2000
- Radiative-Convective Latitudinal Gradients for Jupiter and Saturn Models with a Radiative Zone. Icarus. 142:148-154. 1999
- Imprisoned Argentine scientist. Science. 197:938. 1977
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article
- Titan's atmospheric temperatures, winds, and composition. Science. 308:975-978 . 2005
selected publications listing
-
-Gierasch, Peter. "Radiative-Convective Latitudinal Gradients for Jupiter and Saturn Models with a Radiative Zone."Icarus 142, 148-154 (1999).;
-Gierasch, P. J., A.P. Ingersoll, D. Banfield, S. P. Ewald, P. Helfenstein, A. Simon-Miller, A. Vasvada, H. H. Breneman, D. A. Senske, and the Galileo Imaging Team. "Observation of moist convection in Jupiter's atmosphere." Nature 403, 628-630 (2000).
-Stam, Daphne M., Don Banfield, Peter J. Gierasch, and Philip D. Nicholson. "Near-IR Spectrophotometry of Saturnian Aerosols--Meridional and Vertical Distribution."Icarus 152, 407-422 (2001).
-Simon-Miller, Amy A., Don Banfield, , and Peter J. Gierasch. "Color and the Vertical Structure in Jupiter's Belts, Zones, and Weather Systems."Icarus 154, 459-474 (2001).
-Simon-Miller, Amy A., Peter J. Gierasch, Reta F. Beebe, Barney Conrath, F. Michael Flasar, Richard K. Achterberg, and the Cassini CIRS Team. "New Observational Results Concerning Jupiter's Great Red Spot." Icarus 158, 249-266 (2002).
-Gierasch, P.J., B.J. Conrath and P.L. Read. "Nonconservation of Ertel potential vorticity in hydrogen atmospheres." J. Atmos. Sci., 61, 1953-1965 (2004).
-Flasar, F.M, P. Gierasch and 34 others. "Titan's atmospheric temperatures, winds, and composition." Science, 308, 975-978 (2005).
Teaching
teaching activities
- ASTRO-4940: Independent Study in Astronomy - Spring 2013
- ASTRO-6575: Planetary Atmospheres - Spring 2013
- ASTRO-6940: Advanced Study and Research - Spring 2013
- EAS-5750: Planetary Atmospheres - Spring 2013
- ASTRO-4940: Independent Study in Astronomy - Fall 2012
- ASTRO-6940: Advanced Study and Research - Fall 2012
- ASTRO-4940: Independent Study in Astronomy - Spring 2012
- ASTRO-6940: Advanced Study and Research - Spring 2012
- ASTRO-4431: Introduction to Astrophysics and Space Sciences - Fall 2011
- ASTRO-4940: Independent Study - Fall 2011
- ASTRO-6940: Advanced Study and Research - Fall 2011
Background
education and training
- Postdoctoral Training, Harvard University 1968 - 1969
- Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, Harvard University 1968
- B.A. in Physics, Harvard University 1962