Teaching
ES 237: Planetary Radiation and Climate
Atmospheric radiative transfer is at the heart of understanding the climate of Earth and other planets. This course covers basic stellar and planetary physics, quantum spectroscopy, molecular and aerosol scattering, satellite retrieval theory, cloud, CO2 and H2O climate feedbacks, and extreme climate phenomena such as the runaway greenhouse, Nuclear Winter and Titan’s methane cycle. As a final course outcome, you will learn to construct a line-by-line radiative-convective climate model from first principles.
ESE 160: Space Science and Engineering, Theory and Applications
This course is an introduction to the challenges involved in designing spacecraft for observation of Earth and exploration of other planets. Topics covered include basic atmospheric and planetary science, key principles of remote sensing, telemetry, orbital transfer theory, propulsion and launch system design, and thermal and power management.
EPS 244: Atmospheric Evolution and Habitability of Terrestrial Planets
Earth is our best-studied example of a rocky or ‘terrestrial-type’ planet, but there are many others. Our understanding of Earth’s evolution and habitability is deepened by knowledge of the other rocky planets in the solar system, such as Venus and Mars, as well as more distant objects such as Enceladus, Titan and Pluto. Further afield, our growing knowledge of terrestrial exoplanets is set to massively increase our understanding of planetary evolution and habitability in the future. The aim of this course is to provide a wide overview of the state of the art of this subject, with a focus on in-class discussion of the primary literature.