2023 Study Program Announcement:
The KISS Steering Committee has selected the following four programs for inclusion into the 2023 KISS Study Program. Congratulations to all of the teams listed below!
Blazing Paths to Observing Stellar and Exoplanet Particle Environments
- Joe Lazio (JPL)
- Greg Hallinan (Caltech)
- Evgenya Shkolnik (ASU)
- R. O. Parke Loyd (Eureka Scientific, Inc.)
This Study Program aims to kickstart the science of observing exoplanetary particle environments, with following objectives: to establish an environment of trust and free thought to best enable ideation, to propose approaches for observing diagnostic particles in stellar systems, to prioritize observational approaches through discussion and evaluation, to define the hardware capabilities needed for observation, to organize sub-teams to address gaps and plan the implementation of promising approaches, and to publish a final report, which will serve as a primary resource for the community’s pursuit of exoplanetary particle environments.
Determining the Interior Structure of Uranus: A Case Study for Leveraging Cross-Discipline Science to Answer Tough Questions
- Mark Hofstadter (JPL)
- Dave Stevenson (Caltech)
- Ravit Helled (University of Zürich)
The goal of this Study Program is to bring together theorists, observers, experimentalists, and mission architects to draft an innovative yet practical plan for determining the interior structure of Uranus. This Study will lead to a fully integrated approach, crossing scientific and engineering disciplines, to overcome the traditional limitations of determining a giant planet's interior structure.
The Biology of Biosignature Detection
- Scott Perl (JPL)
- Woody Fischer (Caltech)
- Charles Cockell (University of Edinburgh)
The current framework for life detection for Mars exploration uses the ancient biosignatures paradigm where robust organics and former lacustrine environments provide assessments of habitability. With the recent Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey emphasizing a focus on extant life searches, it is critical to revisit and update our scientific investigations and datasets to more definitively interpret potential extant biology outside of our terrestrial biosphere.
Managing Soil Organic Carbon for Climate Change Mitigation: Multiscale Quantification Through Remote Sensing, AI and Biogeochemical Models
- David Schimel (JPL)
- Christian Frankenberg (Caltech)
- Bruno Basso (Michigan State University)
- Keith Paustian (Colorado State University)
- Steven Mirsky (USDA-ARS)
This Study Program intends to develop a credible framework of a comprehensive SOC data analysis, modeling and prediction system on a national, and ultimately global, scale of agricultural lands. This Study Program aims to enable accurate tracking of SOC changes, create a measurement system consisting of a novel “Scalable (SOC) Quantification Platform”, and to to provide a management tool for national and global agricultural decision makers who are using SOC restoration/enhancement as a GHG mitigation tool.