Investigating the thermophysical properties of airless bodies in our solar system

Duncan's work is focused upon better understanding the surfaces of icy worlds in the outer solar system through remote sensing. This area of research is a particularly exciting one, as two missions are currently en route to Europa (Jupiter's active moon) and missions are in development to return to Enceladus (Saturn's active moon). Duncan's project is broken into two themes, which are relevant to these two worlds. So in the future he would be well positioned to continue to study them.

The first theme is to develop a new thermal conductive heat flow model for icy surfaces. This model will take the predicted latent heat released from condensation of plume material and determine how far the thermal signature will extend into the sub-surface. It will also determine how the thermal signature decreases when the plume ceases.

The goal of the model is to predict the thermal signature of Europa's plumes, to determine how to best observe them with remote sensing instrumentation (specifically E-THEMIS on Europa Clipper, but also to the sub-mm instrument on Juice). Thermal conductive heat flow models do exist. However, they have not been applied to assisting with an observing strategy for Europa Clipper.

The impact of this study will be two-fold, the first is that through Dr. Howett's involvement in Europa Clipper (E-THEMIS Co-I) it will be directly fed into the instrument team to influence their observing strategy. The second is a wider benefit to the science community, it will be directly relevant to understanding Europa's surface and activity.

The second part is to work on developing new instrumentation to study the surfaces of icy worlds, specifically to develop a new filter profile for future missions to Enceladus. The instrumentation team in AOPP are currently working on three different instrumentation designs for proposals for NASA's New Frontiers Mission. Each mission has a slightly different science goal, and thus requires filter profiles optimised for their goals.

Developing a new filter profile for an upcoming mission is completely novel work. This work will directly impact the proposed build profile of the proposed thermal instruments. Should one of them be selected it would guide the filter profile flow to Enceladus.

He is working with Prof. Neil Bowles' instrument development group at the University of Oxford, and the Nightingale Mission Team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In the future he is likely going to work with the Europa Clipper E-THEMIS team, and the Europa Clipper Plumes Focus Group.