Goddard Space Flight Center
Planetary Systems Labor atory

Planetary Systems Laboratory


Picture of Donald Jennings

Donald E. Jennings

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

Phone: (301) 286-7701

Email: Donald Jennings

Current Position


    Astrophysicist, Planetary Systems Laboratory

Education


Ph.D., Physics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 1974.
B.S., Physics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 1970.

Professional Experience


    RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:Experienced in the fields of planetary, solar and stellar astronomy in the infrared spectrum, as well as in laboratory molecular spectroscopy. Specialist in the design, development and use of infrared spectrometers.

    RESEARCH PROGRAMS: Development team, Advanced Geosynchronous Sounder 1997-98.
    Wedged Filter Spectral Imagers, NASA Cross-Enterprise Tech. Prog., 1998-present.
    Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, Pluto Advanced Technology Insertion Program, 1993-94.
    Planetary Ground-based Infrared Astronomy, NASA Planetary Astronomy Program, 1985-present.
    Laboratory Spectroscopy of Planetary Molecules, NASA Planetary Atmospheres Program, 1977-present.
    Infrared Laboratory Spectroscopy, NASA Astronomy Program, 1977-89.
    Magnetic Suspension Bearing for a Planetary Fourier Transform Spectrometer, NASA Planetary Instrument Development Program, 1987-89.
    Seven Director.s Discretionary Fund Projects, 1985-2000.

    APPOINTMENTS: Space Scientist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, Planetary Systems Branch, 1977-present. NAS/NRC Resident Research Associate, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, Infrared and Radio Astronomy Branch, 1976-1977.

    FELLOWSHIPS: NAS/NRC Resident Research Associateship, 1976-1977.
    NDEA Title IV Fellowship, 1971-1974.
    National Science Foundation Traineeship, 1970-1971.

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS (all were collaborations)


  • Built Composite Infrared Spectrometer for Cassini mission to Jupiter and Saturn.
  • Developed Spacecraft Kinetic Infrared Test spectrometer, identified and investigated the near-infrared shuttle glow on STS-39 and STS-62.
  • Mapped solar magnetic fields using the 12.3 micron Mg line and determined its height of formation during the 1991 and 1994 eclipses.
  • Discovered water in the stars Betelgeuse and Antares.
  • Identified CO2, C3H8, C3H4, C4H2, HC3N, and C2N2 in the Voyager spectrum of Titan.
  • Co-authored book "Exploration of the Solar System by Infrared Remote Sensing."
  • Detected 13C-ethane on Saturn and Jupiter.
  • Detected HCN, CN, and SiS in the infrared spectrum of the obscured star IRC+10216.
  • Measured late-epoch Co, Ni, and Fe line profiles in supernova SN1987a in the infrared.
  • Detected thermal waves on Jupiter.
  • Observed CO2 on Mars and Venus, and C2H6 on Jupiter, using laser heterodyning.
  • Performed diode laser spectroscopy of C2H6, CH4, CH3D, C3O2, C3H8, and NH3.
  • Recorded first Raman Fourier transform spectra, used it to study H2 and D2.
  • Recorded first infrared quadrupole spectrum of N2.


    • FLIGHT MISSIONS


  • Instrument Scientist, Composite Infrared Spectrometer on Cassini.
  • PI, Atmospheric Corrector on EO-1.
  • PI, Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array on Lewis.
  • PI, Spacecraft Kinetic Infrared Test on STS-39 and STS-62.


    • MISSIONS UNDER DEVELOPMENT


  • Co-I, Highly Integrated Pluto Payload System for Pluto-Kuiper Express.
  • Collaborator, VESPER Discovery mission to Venus.
  • Co-I, Spectral and Photometric Imaging REceiver for FIRST.
  • Co-I, Far-Infrared Surveyor for ASTRO-F.


    • Selected Publications


    2006  "The Composition of Titan's Stratosphere from Cassini/CIRS Mid-Infrared Spectra," A. Coustenis et al., Icarus, in press.

    2006   "Meridional Variations of C2H2 and C2H6 in Jupiter's Atmosphere from Cassini CIRS Infrared Spectra," C. A. Nixon et al., Icarus, in press.

    2006  "Temporally Varying Ethylene on Jupiter," P. N. Romani, D. E. Jennings, G. L. Bjoraker, P. V. Sada, G. H. McCabe, and R. J. Boyle, Icarus, in press.

    2005  "Observations of C2H6 and C2H2 in the Stratosphere of Saturn," P. V. Sada, G. L. Bjoraker, D. E. Jennings, P. N. Romani, and G. H. McCabe, Icarus, 173, 499.

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

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

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

    2004  "Jupiter's atmospheric composition from thermal-infrared observations at high spectral and spatial resolution," V. G. Kunde, F. M. Flasar, D. E. Jennings, B. Bézard, C. A. Nixon, G. L. Bjoraker, P. N. Romani, R. K. Achterberg, B. J. Conrath, D. F. Strobel, A. A. Simon-Miller, P. Irwin, J. C. Brasunas, J. C. Pearl, M. D. Smith, G. S. Orton, P. J. Gierasch, L. J. Spilker, R. Carlson, A. A. Mamoutkine, S. B. Calcutt, P. L. Read, F. W. Taylor, T. Fouchet, P. Parrish, A. Barucci, R. Courtin, A. Coustenis, D. Gautier, E. Lellouch, A. Marten, R. Prangé , Y. Biraud, C. Ferrari, T. C. Owen, M. M. Abbas, R. E. Samuelson, F. Raulin, P. Ade, C. J. Césarsky, K. U. Grossman, A. Coradini, Science, 305, 1582.

    2004  "Nitrogen Isotopic Ratio in Jupiter's Atmosphere from Observations by Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) on the Cassini Spacecraft," M. M. Abbas, A. LeClair, T. Owen, 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, Astrophy. J, 602, 1063-1074.

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

    2002  "Solar Magnetic Field Studies Using the 12-Micron Emission Lines IV. Observations of a Delta Region Solar Flare," D. E. Jennings, D. Deming, G. McCabe, Pedro Sada, and T. Moran, Astrophy. J., 568, 1043.

    2001  "Meridional Variations of C2H2 and C2H6 in the Jovian Atmosphere from Cassini CIRS Infrared Spectra,"Nixon, C.A., D.E. Jennings, P.G.J. Irwin, P.D. Parrish, T. Fouchet, R.K. Achterberg, A.A. Simon-Miller, CIRS Team 2001, B.A.A.S., 33, 1026; Icarus, submitted.

    2000  "Solar Magnetic Field Studies Using the 12-Micron Emission Lines III. Simultaneous Measurements at 12- and 1.6-Microns," T. Moran, D. Deming, D. E. Jennings, and G. McCabe, Astrophy. J., 533, 1035.