Goddard Space Flight Center
Solar System Exploration Division.

Solar System Exploration Division


Picture of Joe Nuth

Joseph Nuth III

Chief, Astrochemistry Laboratory - Solar System Exploration Division
NASA/GSFC, Code 691
Greenbelt, MD 20771

Phone: (301) 286-9467

Email: Joseph Nuth


Current Position


    Lab Chief, Astrochemistry Laboratory

Education


1975 - B.S. (Astronomy) - University of Maryland
1975 - B.S. (Chemistry) - University of Maryland
1977 - M.S. (Geochemistry) - University of Maryland
1982 - Ph.D. (Chemistry) - University of Maryland

Professional Experience


  • Supervisory Astrophysicist, Astrochemistry
    Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics
    NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Discipline Scientist Planetary Materials and Geochemistry Program (now Cosmochemistry)
    NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
  • Discipline Scientist
    Origins of Solar Systems Research Program
    NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
  • Astrophysicist, Astrochemistry Branch
    Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics
    NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Senior Visiting Scientist, Chemistry Department
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD
  • NAS/NRC Research Management Associate
    Solar System Exploration Division
    NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC
  • NAS/NRC Resident Research Associate
    Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics
    NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Research Assistant, Physics and Astronomy,
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD
  • Research Assistant, Geology,
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD
  • Research Assistant, Physics and Astronomy,
    University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Major Research Activities


  • Photochemistry
  • XRF and Electron Microprobe Analysis of Geochemical Materials
  • High Temperature Chemistry
  • Nucleation Phenomena
  • Circumstellar, Interstellar and Interplanetary Dust
  • Microgravity Science, Meteoritics

Professional Societies


American Chemical Society & Division of Colloid and Surface Science
Chemical Society of Washington, American Astronomical Society
International Astronomical Union & IAU Commissions 15, 22 and 34
Meteoritical Society, Sigma XI

Awards


Elected a Fellow of the Meteoritical Society (2004)
Outstanding Management Award (1st Level & Group/Team Leader)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (1999)
Excellence in Federal Career Award - Outstanding Supervisor, GS-13 & above - Baltimore Federal Executive Board (1997)
Editor's Letter of Commendation from Icarus (1990)

Community Service:


Gordon Research Conference on The Origins of Solar Systems: Vice-Chair, 2003: Chair, 2005: Member of the Counsel, Gordon Research Conferences, 2005-2007

NASA Headquarters Review and Advisory Panels:


Astrobiology Science, Technology and Instrument Development: Chair, 2005-6: Panel, 2001-4
Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploration of Planets: Panel 2002 - 2004
Cosmochemistry Review Panel: Chair, 1997 - 1999
Exobiology Review Panel, 2003 - 2004
Origins of Solar Systems (&TPF Foundation Science): Chair, 1999 - 2001; 2003 - 2004
Sample Return Laboratory Instrument Development Analysis Program: Chair, 2000 - 2005
Special Review of the Lunar & Planetary Institute: Chair, 1999 - 2003; 2005
Cosmochemistry MOWG: 1997 - 2006
Origins of Solar Systems MOWG: 1998 - 2002
Towards Other Planetary Systems: Science Working Group: 1988 - 1992

Goddard Space Flight Center:


Goddard Chemical Safety Subcommittee: 1990 . 1995
Review Committee: Promotion Criteria for Scientists and Engineers: 2000 - 2001
Quality of Work Life Committee: 2004 - 2005


Selected Publications


2006 "Thermogravimetric Measurement of the Vapor Pressure of Cobalt from 1620K to 1973K", Ferguson, F. T., Nuth, J. A. and Johnson, N. M., J. Chem. Engin. Data (submitted).

2006 "Deep Metastable Eutectic Condensation in Al-Fe-SiO-O2-H2 Vapors: Implications for Natural Fe-Aluminosilicates" Frans J. M. Rietmeijer, Joseph A. Nuth III, Pierre Rochette, Aurora Pun and James M. Karner, Am. Min. (submitted).

2006 "Photoelectric Emission Measurements on the Analogs of Individual Cosmic Dust Grains" M. M. Abbas, D. Tankosic, P. D. Craven, J. F. Spann, A. LeClair, E. A. West, J. C. Weingartner, A. G. G. M. Tielens, J. A. Nuth, R. P. Camata and P. A. Gerakines, Ap.J. (submitted).

2006 "Formation of TiC-core, graphitic-mantle grains from CO gas," Yuki Kimura, Joseph A. Nuth III and Frank T. Ferguson, Meteoritics and Planetary Sciences (submitted).

2006 "Astronomical and meteoritic evidence for thermal processing of interstellar dust in protoplanetary disks," C.M.O'D. Alexander, A.P. Boss, L.P. Keller, J.A. Nuth and A. Weinberger in Protostars and Planets V (B. Reipurth, David Jewitt and Klaus Keil, eds.) (Univ. Arizona Press, Tucson) (accepted).

2005 "Laboratory simulation of Mg-rich ferromagnesiosilica dust: The first building blocks of comet dust." Rietmeijer F.J.M. and Nuth III J.A., Adv. Space Res., (in press).

2005 "Crystalline silicates in comets: How did they form?" Nuth, J. A. and Johnson, N. M., Icarus (in press).

2005 "Is the 21- m Feature Observed in Some Post-AGB Stars Caused by the Interaction Between Ti-atoms and Fullerenes?" Yuki Kimura, Joseph A. Nuth III and Frank T. Ferguson, Ap.J.(Lett.) (accepted).

2005 "Resolving the inner cavity of the HD100546 disk: A candidate young planetary system," Grady, C. A., Woodgate, B., Heap, S. R., Bowers, C., Nuth, J. A., Herczeg, G. J. and Hill, H. G. M., Ap. J. 620, 470-480.

2005 "Chemical Processes in the Interstellar Medium: Source of the Gas and Dust in the Primitive Solar Nebula," Joseph A. Nuth III, Steven B. Charnley and Natasha M. Johnson, Chapter 8 in Meteorites and the Early Solar System II (Dante Lauretta, Harry Y. McSween and Laurie Leshin, eds.) (Univ. Ariz. Press, Tucson) (accepted).

2005 "Microcrystals and amorphous material in comets and primitive meteorites: Keys to understanding processes in the early solar system," Nuth, J. A., Brearley, A. J. and Scott, E. R. D. In Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk, edited by A. N. Krot, E. R. D. Scott, and B. Reipurth, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series vol. 341, 675-699.

2005 "Laboratory synthesized calcium oxide and calcium hydroxide grains: A candidate to explain the 6.8 m band," Yuki Kimura and Joseph A. Nuth III, Ap.J. 630, 637-641.

2005 "Experimental Studies of the Vapor-Phase Nucleation of Refractory Compounds: VI. The Condensation of Sodium," Daniel M. Martinez, Frank T. Ferguson, Richard H. Heist and Joseph A. Nuth, J. Chem. Phys. 123, (in press).

2005 "Large, pre-solar graphite and SiC crystals can only form in low mass AGB stars," J. A. Nuth, G. M. Wilkinson, N. M. Johnson and M. Dwyer, Ap.J. (submitted).

2004 "Thermogravimetric Measurement of the Iron Vapor Pressure from 1575K to 1975K", Ferguson, F. T., Nuth, J. A. and Johnson, N. M., J. Chem. Engin. Data 49, 497 - 501.

2004 "Laboratory Hydration of Condensed Magnesiosilica Smokes with Implications for Hydrated Silicates in IDPs and Comets", Rietmeijer, F. J. M., Nuth, J. A. and Nelson, R. N., Meteoritics Planetary Science 39(5), 723-746.

2004 "Planetary Accretion, Oxygen Isotopes and the Central Limit Theorem," J. A. Nuth & H. G. M. Hill Meteoritics and Planetary Science 39 (12), 1957 - 1965.

2004 "Grain sizes of ejected comet dust: Condensed dust analogs, interplanetary dust particles and meteors," Rietmeijer F.J.M. and Nuth III J. A., The New ROSETTA Targets - Observation, simulations and instrument performances (L. Colangeli, E. Mazzotta Epifani, P. Palumbo, eds.) Astrophys. Space Phys. Library, Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 97 - 110.

2003 "The Catalytic Capability of Cosmic Dust: Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry in the Solar Nebula and Other Protoplanetary Systems," Hugh G. M. Hill and Joseph A. Nuth, Astrobiology 3, 291 - 304.

2003 "Experimental astromineralogy: Circumstellar ferromagnesio-silica dust in analogs and natural samples", in Dust in the Solar System and Other Planetary Systems, Rietmeijer F.J.M. and Nuth, J. A. COSPAR Colloquia Series, vol. 15 (S. F. Green, I.P. Williams, J.A.M. McDonnell and N. McBride, eds.), pp. 333-342.

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