PTYS170B2 Course Notes
Course Information
Course Code: PTYS170B2
Title: Universe and Humanity
Professor: Tommi T. Koskinen, KSS 421
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 12:15-1:15pm
Teaching Assistants: Michael Daniel, Fuda Nguyen
Mars Overview
Northern hemisphere: volcanoes, lava plains, erosional features
Southern hemisphere: ancient craters, erosional features
Surface Processes on Mars
Key processes:
Impact cratering
Volcanism
Tectonics (no plate tectonics)
Erosion by wind and past water
Historical climate: warmer and wetter approximately 3.5 billion years ago
Atmospheric and Water Loss on Mars
Atmosphere and water escape mechanisms:
Atmospheric escape to space
Tied to surface/interior
Likely a combination of both processes
MAVEN Mission
Focus on studying atmospheric escape on Mars since 2014
Mars Magnetic Field
No global magnetic field; crustal magnetic field remnants present
Historical stronger magnetosphere protected atmosphere from solar wind
Factors for Earth’s Habitability
Essential conditions:
Interior heat flow
Liquid water presence
Plate tectonics
Suitable atmosphere (oxygen, protection from UV)
Global magnetic field
Future Missions in Planetary Science
Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP):
Highest priority mission for 2023-2032
Goals: study origin, atmosphere, magnetosphere, and satellites of Uranus
Enceladus Orbilander:
Second-highest priority
Focus on ocean habitability and potential for life
Uranus and Its Moons
Unique aspects of Uranus:
Low internal energy, complex magnetic dynamics
Origin and evolution questions addressed by UOP
Notable moons: Umbriel, Titania, Ariel, Miranda
Current Research Missions
Upcoming missions:
Europa Clipper (2024): study potential habitability of Europa
JUICE (2023): focused on Jupiter and its moons
Overall Importance
Investigating icy giants gives insight into planetary formation and evolution, including exoplanets
Research supports understanding habitability conditions beyond Earth.