This issue of Space Notes is dedicated to our REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program.  This is an NSF-funded program that enables us to offer students a summer research experience.  Our program runs for 10 weeks and we have eight students based at the University of Arkansas and four based at Oklahoma State University working with space center faculty on a variety of projects.  The students come from all over the country, and have diverse academic backgrounds suited to the interdisciplinary nature of our research.  They work in the lab, attend seminars, go on field trips and, if not too exhausted by all this, participate in some purely social activities.  Research projects are show-cased at a mid-program poster session and at a final oral presentation session.

Hazel Sears, REU Manager

One of the JSC research labs visited, the noble gas analysis laboratory (NGAL), is directed by Dr. Donald Bogard, the JSC Chief Scientist for Astromaterials Research, who was born near Fayetteville and received BS, MS, and PhD degrees in chemistry from the University of Arkansas in the time period 1962-1966.  The NGAL utilizes mass spectrometers to determine isotopic abundances of the noble gas elements in a variety of meteorite and lunar samples, including meteorites from Mars.  The scientific problems addressed in Dr. Bogard’s research include formation, shock-metamorphic, and space exposure ages of extraterrestrial materials, nuclear reactions in nature, and the composition and origin of volatile components in planetary atmospheres and the sun.  Dr. Bogard discussed with the REU group how isotope mass spectrometers are used for these measurements and some details of recent research he has conducted in these areas of planetary science.

On July 1, students participating in the National Science Foundation-Research for Undergraduates program run by the Center for Space and Planetary Sciences presented posters describing their summer research projects.  The students created the meeting-quality posters themselves and had complete freedom in displaying their information in figures, tables, text, and photographs.  The posters were on display in Oklahoma State University’s Noble Research Center Atrium.  The students then gave 5 to 10 minute presentations describing their poster and proposed research to the Center faculty, students, and interested public. 

"The posters and presentations give the students an opportunity to experience how scientists present their research in actual scientific meetings," said Dr. Derek Sears, Director of the Space Center, "Then, they can take the posters to their home institutions to show off their accomplishments."  The posters covered topics as diverse as understanding the nature of the oldest minerals on Earth, creating instrumentation for spacecraft, using telescopes to understand distant planets and stars, and using the recently erupted Montserrat volcano as an analog for other planets.

Dr. Elizabeth Catlos, Space Center Faculty, OSU

What good is a trip to the Caribbean without a near death experience?  This turned out to be the case for myself and John Mischler.  We are both participants in the space center 2003 REU program.  We were on field work on Montserrat during the eruption of the Soufriere hills Volcano on July 12th. 

Upon arrival at the Volcano Observatory, we were informed that geological events known as hybrid swarms had been occurring frequently for about a week - these are frequent shallow earthquakes, which were being caused by magma moving towards the surface of the volcano.  As the magma moves upward through the conduit, it is subjected to lower and lower pressures, which consequently releases the gas that had previously been dissolved in the magma.  As this magmatic froth moves upward, it begins to fracture overlaying rock. It is this fracturing that causes the shallow earthquakes to occur.  Most of our field work was done within the boundaries of the exclusion zone, which is a boundary that designates what areas of the island need to remain evacuated in case of eruption.  On the afternoon of July 11 th we were at a sight called Air Studios.  We could hear small parts of the dome collapsing.

The actual event occurred on the evening of July 12th.  It had been raining pretty steadily most of the night of the 11th and into the morning hours of the 12th, which lowered the integrity of the dome.  Minor dome collapse had been occurring all day, with pyroclastic flows running down the Tar River Valley and out to sea.  Around dinnertime it started to rain a mixture of ash and mud, which created treacherous driving conditions.  The actual eruption occurred near 10:45PM AST and continued until just before midnight.  It was easy to tell that something major had happened.  The particle size had been steadily increasing, when suddenly it started to rain 4-6cm sized pumice.  We had our bags packed, and kitchen pots ready to be used as helmets and were very apprehensive!  All the wet ash in the air created a tremendous amount of static electricity, due to the high conductivity of the ash.  We were in the middle of one of the most severe lightning storms I have ever been witness to, and the lightning was striking no more than 100 meters from the house!  This went on until 3:00 AM.

A few days later we returned safely to UArk and somewhat calmer environs.  This was definately one field trip we will never forget.

Jonathan McBee, REU Student

Fellow REU students finally had a chance to learn details about each other’s research on July 1st when the eight students at UArk joined the four at OSU in a program-joint poster presentation.  The students presented their research plans and some preliminary findings to each other and many of the faculty members of the center.  It made for a fascinating two hours with posters on such wide themes as the possibility of photosynthetic life on Mars to the testing of cutting edge microthrusters for miniature spacecraft. 

After the presentations, the students and faculty enjoyed a lunch, enjoying food and conversation with colleagues not of-ten seen.  It was a fantastic opportunity for everyone in the program to get acquainted with each other and their projects, and inspired a lot of cross-discipline debate and discussion, just like the center itself was intended to do. 

Though the center students are hard at work on their projects, Independence Day could not pass with out notice.  The REU students from UARK organized a day-long cookout at Beaver Lake in the Fayetteville area, and enjoyed sun, fun and a chance to get away for awhile. the fireworks show over the lake was truly fantatstic.  Many thanks to Dr. Derek and Hazel Sears for their suggestion and for the use of their cooler.

Steve McAllister, REU Student

Martian Atmosphere-Regolith Interaction: 13C Exchange
K. Brutlag, D. Sears, M. Kareev

Performance Testing of Microthrusters for Spacecraft Use: Development of a Rotational Micro-thrust Measuring Stand Concept
A. Garel, L. Roe

Searching for Extra-Solar Planets via the Transit Method
C. Griffis, C. Lacy

Determining the Rate of Rotation of Asteroid 875 Nymphe
R. Halvorsen, C. Lacy

Monitoring the Soufriere Hills Volcano on Montserrat with Calipso
J. McBee, G. Mattioli, P. Jansma

Oxygen Resistance of Methanogens: Aerobic Research Technique for Exobiology
S. McAllister, T. Kral

GPS Geodetic Measurements of Surface Deformation on Dominica
J. Mischler, G. Mattioli, P. Jansma

An Analysis of Potential Photosynthetic Life on Mars
J. Sakon, R. Burnap

Interpretation of Wind Direction from Eolian Features: Herschel Crater, Mars
B. Stanley, C. Adcock, R. Marston

Hadean Inclusions in Zircon and Rutile may hold Keys to Understanding Early Earth Conditions
D. Trail, E. Catlos, S. Mojzsis

Implementation of Robotic Arm to Evaluate Asteroid Surface Sampler
S. Wewers, D. Sears

Discrimination of Heavy Charged Particles in a Mixed Irradiation using Optically Stimulated Luminescence Methods
B. Yount, E. Yukihara, S. McKeever