Doug Archer, Postdoctoral Fellow
Mars surface processes, habitability, and astrobiology
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow (NPP)
doug.archer@nasa.gov
281-483-4643
I am interested in the habitability of various Martian environments over time. I have worked on the effect of UV irradiation on organic molecules and am currently working on how mineralogy and the physical properties of minerals provide a window into past conditions. Understanding past conditions as well as the current Martian environment is key in establishing habitability over time and thus the possibility for life on Mars.
PhD Planetary Science, University of Arizona 2010
BS Physics, Brigham Young University 2004
NASA Postdoctoral Fellow, Johnson Space Center (2010 - Present)
- Working on Mars analog materials in support of the SAM instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory.
- Science team member for the 2010 DesertRATS campaign, an operational exercise using and expanding upon my experience with the Phoenix Mission.
Research Assistant (2004- 2010)
- Dissertation work involved studies of Antarctic soils as an analog for Martian soils in order to expand our understanding of the Phoenix landing site.
- Investigated the UV exposure of putative Martian organics with subsequent mass spec analysis, showing that some organics survive Martian UV conditions.
Phoenix Mars Scout Mission Science Team Member (2004- 2009)
- Participated as a member of the science team in carrying out pre-mission operations tests, fulfilled role as the primary strategic science planner, robotic arm-science team liaison, and as icy soil delivery team member.
- Mars Geochemistry Research Group
Tamppari, L.K., Anderson, R.M., Archer, P.D. Jr., Douglas, S. Kounaves, S.P., McKay, C.P., Ming, D.W., Moore, Q., Quinn, J.E., Smith, P.H., Stroble, A., Zent, A.P., "Effects of Aridity on Soils and Habitability: McMurdo Dry Valleys as an Analog for the Mars Phoenix Landing Site", Antarctic Science, in press.
Archer, P. D. Jr., The Martian Near Surface Environment: Analysis of Antarctic Soils and Laboratory Experiments on Putative Martian Organics, PhD Dissertation, May 2010.
Stoker, C. R., A. P. Zent, D. C. Catling, S. Douglas, J. Marshall, P. H. Smith, P. D. Archer, Jr., R. C. Quinn, B. C. Clark, N. Renno, V. Hipkin, S. P. Kounaves, S. M. M. Young, M. H. Hecht, M. Lemmon, and D. Fisher (2010), The Habitability of the Phoenix Landing Site, Journal of Geophysical Research, in press, doi:10.1029/2009JE003421.
Bonitz R.G., Shiraishi L., Robinson M., Arvidson R.E., Chu P.C., Wilson J.J., Davis K.R., Paulsen,G., Kusack A.G., Archer P.D. Jr., and Smith P.H. (2008) NASA Mars 2007 Phoenix Lander Robotic Arm and Icy Soil Acquisition Device, J. Geophys. Res.,113, E00A01.
Archer, P. D. Jr., H. Imanaka, M. A. Smith, D. W. Ming, W. V. Boynton, and P. H. Smith (2009), UV Photolysis of Mellitic Acid -- A Possible Organic at the Mars Phoenix Landing Site, paper presented at 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, (Lunar and Planetary Science XL), The Woodlands, Texas, March 23-27, 2009.
Archer, P.D. Jr., Imanaka, H., Smith M.A., and Smith P.H. (2008) UV Photolysis of Putative Martian Organics: Identifying Potential Complex Surface Organics for Upcoming Missions, Astrobiology, 8(2): 431-436, #29-03-P.