|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Christopher P. McKay
Dr. Christopher P. McKay, Planetary Scientist with the Space Science Division of NASA Ames. Chris received his Ph.D. in AstroGeophysics from the University of Colorado in 1982 and has been a research scientist with the NASA Ames Research Center since that time. His current research focuses on the evolution of the solar system and the origin of life. He is also actively involved in planning for future Mars missions including human exploration. Chris been involved in research in Mars-like environments on Earth, traveling to the Antarctic dry valleys, Siberia, the Canadian Arctic, and the Atacama desert to study life in these Mars-like environments. His was a co-I on the Titan Huygen's probe in 2005, the Mars Phoenix lander misson for 2007, and the Mars Science Lander mission for 2009.
• Highilghted Work: Rain on Titan Read the recent nature letter 'Methane drizzle on Titan' on which Dr. McKay was Co-author, or read
the
nature summary, 'Searching For Aliens', the news piece 'NASA Reports That Methane Drizzles on Saturn's Moon, Titan' or an interview
with Dr. McKay about searching for aliens. Selected Honors and Awards: 2004 NASA Exceptional Leadership Medal 2004 NASA Group Achievement Award -ARES project 2005 NASA Ames Honor Award - Mentor 2005 Int. Soc Study Origin Life Fellow 2006 Am. Geophys Union Fellow Current Professional Activities: Associate Editor: Planetary and Space Science; Astrobiology, International J. of Astrobiology, Geobiology Editorial Advisary Board: Environmental Ethics U.S. Committee for the International Permafrost Association Board of Directors, The Planetary Society Advisory Committee, University of California Berkeley Center for Integrated Planetary Studies External Advisory Committee, University of Arkansas Oklahoma State University Center for Space and Planetary Studies Program Scientist, Robotic Lunar Exploration Program Recent Publications: 1. Tokano, T., C.P. McKay, F.M. Neubauer, S,K. Atreya, F. Ferri, M. Fulchignoni, and H.B. Niemann (2006) Methane drizzle on Titan, Nature, 442, 432-435 see also above. 3. Fulchignoni, M. et al. (2005) In situ measurements of the physical characteristics of Titan's environment. Nature, 438, 785-791. 4. Beaty, D.W., Clifford, S.M., Borg, L.E., Catling, D., Craddock, R.A., Des Marais, D.J., Farmer, J.D., Frey, H.V., Haberle, R.M., McKay, C.P., Newsom, H.E., Parker, T.J., Segura, T., and Tanaka, K.L., 2005, Key Science Questions from the Second Conference on Early Mars: Geologic, Hydrologic, and Climatic Evolution and the Implications for Life. Astrobiology, Vol. 5, No. 6: 663-689. 5. McKay, C.P., Smith, H.D. (2005) Possibilities for methanogenic life in liquid methane on the surface of Titan, Icarus, 178, 274-276. 6. Stalport, F., Coll, P., Cabane, M., Person, A., Navarro-Gonzalez, R., Raulin, F., Vaulay, M.J., Ausset, P., McKay, C.P., Szopa, C., Zarnecki, J. (2005) Search for past life on Mars: Physical and chemical characterization of minerals of biotic and abiotic origin: part 1 - Calcite, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, doi:10.1029/2005GL023403 7. Smith, H.D. and C.P. McKay (2005) Drilling in ancient permafrost on Mars for evidence of a second genesis of life, Planet. Space Sci., 53, 1302-1308. 8. Heldmann, J.L., C.P. McKay, W.H. Pollard, D.T.Andersen, and O.B. Toon (2005) Annual development cycle of an icing deposit and associated perennial spring activity on Axel Heiberg Island, Canadian High Arctic. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Res. 37, 127-135. 9. Catling, D.C., Glein, C.R., Zahnle, K.J., and McKay, C.P. (2005) Why O2 is required by complex life on habitable planets and the concept of planetary "oxygenation time", Astrobiology 5, 415-438. 10. Seiff, A., C.R. Stoker, R.E. Young, J.D. Mihalov, C.P. McKay, and R.D. Lorenz, Determination of physical properties of a planetary surface by measuring the deceleration of a probe upon impact: Application to Titan, Planet. Space Sci., 53, 594-600, 2005. 11. Heldmann J.L., O.B. Toon, W.H. Pollard, M.T. Mellon, J. Pitlick, C.P. McKay, and D.T. Andersen (2005), Formation of Martian gullies by the action of liquid water flowing under current Martian environmental conditions, J. Geophys. Res., 110, E05004, doi:10.1029/2004JE002261. 12. Juck, D.F. G. Whissell, B. Steven, W. Pollard, C.P. McKay, C.W. Greer, and L. G. Whyte, Utilization of Fluorescent Microspheres and a Green Fluorescent Protein-Marked Strain for Assessment of Microbiological Contamination of Permafrost and Ground Ice Core Samples from the Canadian High Arctic, App. Environ. Microbio., 71, 1035-1041, 2005. 13. Lorenz, R.D., C.A. Griffith, J.I. Lunine, C.P. McKay, and N.O. Renno, Convective plumes and the scarcity of Titan's clouds, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L01201, doi:10.1029/ 2004GL021415, 2005. 14. Marinova, M.M., C.P. McKay, and H. Hashimoto, Radiative-convective model of warming Mars with artificial greenhouse gases, J. Geophys. Res., 110, E03002, doi:10.1029/2004JE002306, 2005. Contact Information: Phone: (650) 604-6864; FAX (650)604-6779 Email cMcKay(at)mail.arc.nasa.gov
Chris McKay Mail Stop 245-3 NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000 USA
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| |
|||||||||||||||||||||
