|
| |||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Research Interests
I am currently a third year graduate student working with Dr. Nancy Chanover. My research interests include instrumentation development, astrobiology, and ice giant atmospheres.
Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter (AOTF) IR Point Spectrometer for Biosignature Identification:
I am working with a group in the Electro-Optics Research Laboratory in the Electrical Engineering department here at NMSU to identify biosignatures within geologic samples using an IR reflectance spectrometer. The spectrometer uses AOTF technology to focus discrete frequencies of light onto a sample, which then reflects the light back onto a detector. By sweeping through a wide range of wavelengths (between 1.6 - 3.6 microns), we build a reflectance spectrum, which gives information on the absorption properties of the sample. Each mineral type has a unique spectral shape, which we use to determine the rough chemical composition of a sample.
 |
|
An image showing the optical path of the spectrometer (provided by Rula Tawalbeh). Light emerges from an IR source and passes through several optical components toward the AOTF crystal. The dispersion of light through the AOTF is dependent on the radio frequency supplied to the transducer. Light is then focused onto a sample and reflected off a pair of off-axis parabolic mirrors onto the detector.
|
Although we are unable to directly measure the spectral signatures of microbes or other small critters, we can identify field markers indicating their presence. We search for evidence of local geologic anomalies consistent with biotic origin to inform other instruments, such as a mass spectrometer or a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system, where the most useful places to search for organics would be. This low-power prescreening method of life detection is especially useful on other planetary bodies where sample return is impractical and spacecraft resources need to be conserved.
 |
|
This piece of travertine is host to a microbial community. The microbes themselves are not visible, however the oxide waste they produce (dark area) is an obvious tracer indicating their presence.
|
Long Baseline Temperature Variations in the Upper Stratosphere of Neptune:
A team at NMSU observed a stellar occultation by Neptune in July 2008 with the Astrophysical Research Consortium 3.5-meter telescope at Apache Point Observatory as shown in the animation. I fit the observed reduction of light as the star was occulted by Neptune to a simulation of an atmospheric body passing in front of a star. Among other parameters (including pressure, scale height, and atmospheric composition to name a few) the temperature of the upper stratosphere is determined from the best fit of the model to the observations.
 |
|
An animation depicting the stellar occultation by Neptune in July 2008. Neptune is the brightest object in the frame, followed by its moon Triton to the right of Neptune. Note: the actual duration of the event was roughly 2 hours, but has been sped up in this animation.
|
We compare the temperature of Neptune determined in 2008 to temperatures of Neptune extracted using similar methods from occultations observed in the 1980's just before the Voyager 2 fly by. How the temperature changes as a function of latitudinal position, altitude, pressure, and time can be used to find the most significant heating effects in the upper stratosphere of Neptune.
Observing Capabilities of Ice Giants using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST):
The JWST is an IR space telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror that will orbit the L2 point after its launch in 2018. The telescope will be equipped with moving target capabilities, allowing it to track Solar System objects. Due to the large collection area of the telescope and the high sensitivity of the detectors, observing bright objects becomes a challenge. I used published IR spectra of the Ice Giants (Uranus and Neptune) to determine the capabilities of observing these bodies with the JWST. The brightnesses of these objects and the instrument and detector specifications are used to determine in which observing modes Uranus and Neptune may be observed. Their atmospheres, which are rich in hydrocarbons and display seasonally varying clouds and storms, can be probed by the JWST to examine their chemistry and thermal balance with unprecedented precision. Current ground-based observatories are unable to probe the atmospheres of ice giants to large vertical depth or with sufficient accuracy because of terrestrial atmospheric absorption and high thermal background. By calculating the expected SNR for these example observations, future observers will be better prepared to observe the Ice Giants without damaging the sensitive IR detectors.
Restoration and Robotization of the Tortugas Mountain Observatory (TMO):
The observatory located atop Tortugas Mountain just 2.5 miles East of campus was used extensively from 1967 until about 1999. The dome houses a 24" Cassegrain reflector, which was primarily used to observe Solar System objects, including the Shoemaker-Levy 9 impact during its original operational period. Funding from the American Association of Variable Star Observers allowed restoration of the observatory to begin, with the ultimate goal of robotizing the observatory to monitor variable stars in conjunction with other observatories located around the world. My role in the revitalization of TMO has primarily been the configuration and testing of software on-site before we begin efforts to observe robotically.
Undergraduate Work
I received my B. S. degree in June 2010 from the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University. During my undergraduate studies I pursued several research interests including: the orbital dynamics of near-Earth asteroids (with Dr. Thomas Statler), the impact cratering process and resulting stratigraphy (with Dr. Keith Milam), and the properties of semiconducting thin films at high temperatures (with Dr. Martin Kordesch).
I worked with Dr. Thomas Statler to model the rotation of near Earth asteroids (NEAs) due to the YORP effect (a lower-order effect which attempts to explain changes in the rotation of small Solar System objects due to variations in albedo and size). I observed and tracked the orbital patterns of NEAs with the MDM observatory 1.3-meter McGraw-Hill Telescope at Kitt Peak, and modeled the effect of radiation recoil due to thermal conductivity and total insolation at the surface. I used a one-dimensional heat equation as a basis for the conduction model, and employed a multi-dimensional Newton-Raphson iterative technique in my calculations.
My senior thesis project involved taking high-temperature conductivity and Hall Effect measurements of semiconducting thin films and glass samples with Dr. Martin Kordesch, to study the conductivity, mobility, and carrier type in transition metal oxides used in thermionic cathodes. I designed and built an apparatus that can withstand temperatures of up to 500C, while still allowing a strong magnetic field to be incident across a sample. As a part of this project, I discovered first-hand a large gap between theory and experimentation and the benefits of developing an experiment with minimal complexity. My initial project design needed to be seriously modified due to complications I encountered during construction involving material strength, melting points, and significant magnetic susceptibility caused by impurities. These experiences helped me to better connect theoretical and experimental physics.
Publications
An Investigation of the Temperature Variations in Neptune's Upper Stratosphere via a July 2008 Occultation.
K. Uckert, N. J. Chanover, C. Olkin, L. Young, H. B. Hammel, C. F. Miller, and J. Bauer. Icarus, In Preparation.
Ice Giant Observations with JWST.
K. Uckert, N. J. Chanover, H. B. Hammel, D. C. Hines. Space Telescope Science Institute. White Paper, Publication Planned for Spring 2013.
An Investigation of the Seasonal Changes of Neptune's Atmosphere via a July 2008 Stellar Occultation Event.
Kyle Uckert, N. Chanover, C. Miller, C. Olkin, L. Young, H. Hammel, J. Bauer. In the 44th Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society: Jovian Planets: Atmospheres and Laboratory Measurements, October 2012.
A Miniature Spectrometer for the Detection of Organics and Identification of their Mineral Context.
Nancy J. Chanover, K. Uckert, D. Glenar, D. Voelz, X. Xiao, R. Tawalbeh, P. Boston, S. Getty, W. Brinckerhoff, P. Mahaffy. In the 44th Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society: Future Missions and Instruments, October 2012.
Miniature Spectrometer for Detection of Organics and Identification of their Mineral Context.
Nancy J. Chanover, David A. Glenar, Kyle Uckert, David G. Voelz, Xifeng Xiao, Rula Tawalbeh, Penelope Boston, William Brinckerhoff, Stephanie Getty, and Paul Mahaffy. In International Workshop on Instrumentation for Planetary Missions, October 2012.
Laser Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry for Future In Situ Planetary Missions.
S. A. Getty, W. B. Brincker-hoff, T. Cornish, S. A. Ecelberger, X. Li, M. A. Merrill-Floyd, N. Chanover, K. Uckert, D. Voelz, X. Xiao, R. Tawalbeh, D. Glenar, J. E. Elsil, and M. Callahan. In International Workshop on Instrumentation for Planetary Missions, October 2012.
A Miniature AOTF-LDTOF Spectrometer Suite for the Detection of Biomarkers on Planetary Surfaces.
Kyle Uckert, Nancy J. Chanover, David A. Glenar, David G. Voelz, Xifeng Xiao, Rula Tawalbeh, Penelope Boston, William Brinckerhoff, Stephanie Getty, M. A. Merril-Floyd, and Paul Mahaffy. In Astrobiology Science Conference 2012 Exploring Life: Past, Present, Near and Far, April 2012.
Rapid Assessment of High Value Samples: An AOTF-LDTOF Spectrometer Suite for Planetary Surfaces
N. Chanover, R. Tawalbeh, D. Glenar, D. Voelz, X. Xiao, K. Uckert, P. Boston, S. Getty, W. Brinckerhoff, P. Mahaffey, T. Cornish, S. Ecelberger. Aerospace Conference, 2012 IEEE, pp.1-10, 3-10 March 2012.
A Miniature AOTF-LDTOF Spectrometer Suite for the Detection of Biomarkers on Planetary Surfaces.
Kyle Uckert, Nancy J. Chanover, David A. Glenar, David G. Voelz, Xifeng Xiao, Rula Tawalbeh, Penelope Boston, William Brinckerhoff, Stephanie Getty, and Paul Mahaffy. In Life Detection in Extraterrestrial Samples, February 2012.
Ice Giants: Uranus and Neptune
Dean C. Hines, Kyle Uckert, Nancy Chanover, and Heidi B. Hammel. James Webb Space Telescope: Science Operations Design Reference Mission: Solar System, Revision: C. ID: 92050, pp. B-12 - B14. December 2011.
Rapid Assessment of High Value Samples: A Miniature AOTF-LDTOF Spectrometer Suite for Cave Environments.
N. J. Chanover, D. A. Glenar, D. G. Voelz, X. Xiao, R. Tawalbeh, K. Uckert, P. Boston, W. Brinckerhoff, S. Getty, and P. Mahaffy. In First International Planetary Cave Research Workshop, October 2011.
Using the James Webb Space Telescope to Study Ice Giant Atmospheres.
K. Uckert, N. Chanover, H.B. Hammel, and D.C. Hines. In EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011: Future Planetary Missions and Instrumentation, October 2011.
WEBT Multiwavelength Monitoring and XMM-Newton Observations of Lacertae in 2007-2008. Unveiling Different Emission Components.
C. M. Raiteri and 68 coauthors, including K. Uckert. A&A, 507(2): 769-779, 2009.
A New Activity Phase of the Blazar 3C 454.3. Multifrequency Observations by the WEBT and XMM-Newton in 2007-2008.
C. M. Raiteri and 74 coauthors, including K. Uckert. A&A, 491(3): 755-766, 2008.
The High Activity of 3C 454.3 in Autumn 2007. Monitoring by the WEBT during the AGILE detection.
C. M. Raiteri and 60 coauthors, including K. Uckert. A&A, 485(2): L17-L20, 2008.
Multifrequency Monitoring of the Blazar 0716+714 During the GASP-WEBT-AGILE Campaign of 2007.
M. Villata and 51 coauthors, including K. Uckert. A&A, 481(2): L79-L82, 2008.
Meetings and Workshops Attended
The 28th Annual New Mexico Symposium. Socorro, New Mexico. November 30, 2012.
44th Annual Meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society. Reno, Nevada. October 14-19, 2012.
Astrobiology Science Conference 2012: Exploring Life: Past and Present, Near and Far. Atlanta, Georgia. April 16-20, 2012.
Conference on Life Detection in Extraterrestrial Samples. San Diego, California. February 13-15, 2012.
First International Planetary Caves Workshop: Implications for Astrobiology, Climate, Detection, and Exploration. Carlsbad, New Mexico. October 25-28, 2011.
The EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011. Nantes, France. October 2-7, 2011.
Frontier Science Opporunities with the James Webb Space Telescope. STScI, Baltimore, Maryland. June 6-11, 2011.