I am a Staff Scientist in the Solar System Exploration Division at the NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center. My research emphasizes using molecular spectroscopy to measure the abundances of sublimed ices in the nuclei of comets. An evolving taxonomy based on the composition of ices currently contains over 40 comets.
Michael A Disanti
((AST, PLANETARY STUDIES))
| Email: | michael.a.disanti@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.286.7036 |
| Org Code: | 693 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 693 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: |
Brief Bio
Research Interests
Composition of Ices in Comets
Solar System: CometsUse high-resolution spectroscopy in the 2.8-5.2 micron wavelength region to establish production rates and relative abundances for up to 10 molecular species that are housed as ices in the nuclei of comets. Long-slit spectra are obtained using state-of-the-art spectrographs at the NASA-IRTF and Keck Observatories. As of late 2019, our taxonomic database includes more than 40 comets, both from the Oort cloud and scattered Kuiper belt dynamical reservoirs of comets.
Positions/Employment
Astrophysicst (Staff Research Scientist)
NASA - Goddard Space Flight Center
October 2002 - Present
Conducts basic research on ices in comets.
Supports missions to comets, through ground-based observations.
Supports Agency Goals
Teaching Experience
E/PO activities:
M. DiSanti mentored an undergraduate student, Constantinos Makrides, through the NAI Summer Undergraduate Internships in Astrobiology (SUIA) program. Mr. Makrides streamlined the calculation of line-by-line fluorescence efficiency factors for water, at one-degree intervals over a wide range of temperatures, for comparison with emissions seen in our comet spectra. This effort found immediate application in establishing the rotational temperature of H2O in, and amount of H2O released from comet Tempel-1. The methodology for measuring the excitation and production rate of H2O is completely analogous to that developed for H2CO.
M. DiSanti is also the node contact for the research effort, within the Minority Institution Astrobiology Cooperative (MIAC), to systematically observe comets through emission-line filters at optical wavelengths. This effort is led by Dr. Donald Walter (South Carolina State University), and will utilize telescopes in Arizona. Imaging studies on the Kitt Peak 1.3-m telescope are in the science-testing phase. The molecules giving rise to the IR emissions are photo-dissociated in the coma, producing the .daughter. fragments (radicals) to be targeted by the MIAC filter imaging program.
Lastly, M. DiSanti talked to three second grade classes (including his son.s) at Thunder Hill Elementary School about the solar system and how comets can tell us about its early stages, similar to how dinosaur fossils can tell us about Earth at earlier times.
M. DiSanti mentored an undergraduate student, Constantinos Makrides, through the NAI Summer Undergraduate Internships in Astrobiology (SUIA) program. Mr. Makrides streamlined the calculation of line-by-line fluorescence efficiency factors for water, at one-degree intervals over a wide range of temperatures, for comparison with emissions seen in our comet spectra. This effort found immediate application in establishing the rotational temperature of H2O in, and amount of H2O released from comet Tempel-1. The methodology for measuring the excitation and production rate of H2O is completely analogous to that developed for H2CO.
M. DiSanti is also the node contact for the research effort, within the Minority Institution Astrobiology Cooperative (MIAC), to systematically observe comets through emission-line filters at optical wavelengths. This effort is led by Dr. Donald Walter (South Carolina State University), and will utilize telescopes in Arizona. Imaging studies on the Kitt Peak 1.3-m telescope are in the science-testing phase. The molecules giving rise to the IR emissions are photo-dissociated in the coma, producing the .daughter. fragments (radicals) to be targeted by the MIAC filter imaging program.
Lastly, M. DiSanti talked to three second grade classes (including his son.s) at Thunder Hill Elementary School about the solar system and how comets can tell us about its early stages, similar to how dinosaur fossils can tell us about Earth at earlier times.
Education
1989 Ph.D., Physics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721.
Thesis title: "The production and spatial distribution of neutral and ionized water vapor in comet P/ Halley."
1980 M.S., Physics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131.
1978 B.S., Astrophysics, University of New Mexico;
B.A., Chemistry, University of New Mexico.
Thesis title: "The production and spatial distribution of neutral and ionized water vapor in comet P/ Halley."
1980 M.S., Physics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131.
1978 B.S., Astrophysics, University of New Mexico;
B.A., Chemistry, University of New Mexico.
Professional Societies
Division for Planetary Sciences, American Astronomical Society
1986 - Present
NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG)
Member
2009 - 2018
NASA Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG)
SBAG Steering Committee"Comet Expert"
2018 - Present
Professional Service
Participation in NASA Peer Review panels for ROSES proposals
Review of manuscripts submitted for publication in professional journals
Participation in "Red Team" reviews for both ROSES and mission proposals
Awards
2009 - Peer Award, Solar System Exploration Division, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center
Grants
Establishing [O I] Observations as a Proxy for CO2 Production in Comets
Research Opportunities for Space and Earth Science (ROSES) - NASA Planetary Science Division (PSD) (SolarSystemWorkings) - Awarded: 2019-09-27
Dates: 2019-11-01 - 2022-10-31
Coverage: 0.3
Photonic Integrated Circuit TUned for Reconnaissance and Exploration (PICTURE)
PICASSO - NASA PSD - Awarded: 2019-05-03
Dates: 2019-07-01 - 2022-06-30
Coverage: 0.24
Infrared Spectroscopy of Cometary Parent Volatiles: Ties to Formative Conditions
ROSES - NASA PSD (Solar System Obs) - Awarded: 2019-03-12
Dates: 2019-01-01 - 2021-12-31
Coverage: 1.05
Amount 350K
Publications
Refereed
2025. "Infrared Compositional Measurements in Comet C/2017 K2 (Pan-STARRS) at Heliocentric Distances Beyond 2.3 au." The Astronomical Journal 169 (2): 102 [10.3847/1538-3881/ada154] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Coma Abundances of Volatiles at Small Heliocentric Distances: Compositional Measurements of Long-period Comet C/2020 S3 (Erasmus)." The Astronomical Journal 167 (1): 32 [10.3847/1538-3881/ad0e02] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "The Return of the Rosetta Target: Keck Near-infrared Observations of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in 2021." The Astronomical Journal 166 (6): 233 [10.3847/1538-3881/acee59] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Molecular Outgassing in Centaur 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1 during Its Exceptional 2021 Outburst: Coordinated Multiwavelength Observations Using nFLASH at APEX and iSHELL at the NASA-IRTF." The Planetary Science Journal 4 (9): 172 [10.3847/psj/ace1e9] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Comprehensive Study of the Chemical Composition and Spatial Outgassing Behavior of Hyperactive Comet 46P/Wirtanen Using Near-IR Spectroscopy during its Historic 2018 Apparition." The Astronomical Journal 165 (6): 231 [10.3847/1538-3881/acc074] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Coma composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from radio-wave spectroscopy." Astronomy & Astrophysics 672 A170 [10.1051/0004-6361/202245672] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Volatile Composition and Outgassing in C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto): Extending Limits for High-resolution Infrared Cometary Spectroscopy between 2.8 and 5.0 μm." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (6): 225 [10.3847/psj/ac07ae] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "First Comet Observations with NIRSPEC-2 at Keck: Outgassing Sources of Parent Volatiles and Abundances Based on Alternative Taxonomic Compositional Baselines in 46P/Wirtanen." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (2): 45 [10.3847/psj/abd03c] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Quantifying the Hypervolatile Abundances in Jupiter-family Comet 46P/Wirtanen." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (1): 21 [10.3847/psj/abd71d] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Testing Short-term Variability and Sampling of Primary Volatiles in Comet 46P/Wirtanen." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (1): 20 [10.3847/psj/abc95c] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Carbonyl Sulfide (OCS): Detections in Comets C/2002 T7 (LINEAR), C/2015 ER61 (PanSTARRS), and 21P/Giacobini–Zinner and Stringent Upper Limits in 46P/Wirtanen." The Astronomical Journal 160 (4): 184 [10.3847/1538-3881/aba522] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Probing the Evolutionary History of Comets: An Investigation of the Hypervolatiles CO, CH4, and C2H6 in the Jupiter-family Comet 21P/Giacobini–Zinner." The Astronomical Journal 159 (2): 42 [10.3847/1538-3881/ab536b] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Detection of a Water Tracer in Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov." The Astrophysical Journal Letters 889 (1): L10 [10.3847/2041-8213/ab64ed] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "Post-perihelion volatile production and release from Jupiter-family comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková." Icarus 335 (1): 113411 [10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113411] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "The Peculiar Volatile Composition of CO-dominated Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)." The Astronomical Journal 158 (3): 128 [10.3847/1538-3881/ab32e4] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "The extraordinary composition of the blue comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)." Astronomy & Astrophysics 619 A127 [10.1051/0004-6361/201833449] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "Evolution of H2O production in comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) as inferred from forbidden oxygen and OH emission." Icarus 309 1-12 [10.1016/j.icarus.2018.02.024] [Journal Article/Letter]
2016. "En Route To Destruction: The Evolution in Composition of Ices in Comet D/2012 S1 (ISON) Between 1.2 and 0.34 Au from the Sun as Revealed at Infrared Wavelengths." The Astrophysical Journal 820 (1): 34 [10.3847/0004-637x/820/1/34] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "THE EVOLUTION OF VOLATILE PRODUCTION IN COMET C/2009 P1 (GARRADD) DURING ITS 2011–2012 APPARITION." The Astrophysical Journal 807 (1): 19 [10.1088/0004-637x/807/1/19] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "Solar fluorescence model of CH3D as applied to comet emission." Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy 291 118-124 [10.1016/j.jms.2013.05.007] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "High-resolution infrared spectroscopic measurements of Comet 2P/Encke: Unusual organic composition and low rotational temperatures." Icarus 223 (1): 298-307 [10.1016/j.icarus.2012.11.023] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "A new model for theν1vibrational band of HCN in cometary comae, with application to three comets." Astronomy & Astrophysics 551 A51 [10.1051/0004-6361/201219903] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "HIGHLY DEPLETED ETHANE AND MILDLY DEPLETED METHANOL IN COMET 21P/GIACOBINI-ZINNER: APPLICATION OF A NEW EMPIRICAL ν2-BAND MODEL FOR CH3OH NEAR 50 K." The Astrophysical Journal 763 (1): 1 [10.1088/0004-637x/763/1/1] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COMET C/2007 N3 (LULIN): ANOTHER ‘‘ATYPICAL’’ COMET." The Astrophysical Journal 750 (2): 102 [10.1088/0004-637x/750/2/102] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "A QUANTUM BAND MODEL OF THE ν3FUNDAMENTAL OF METHANOL (CH3OH) AND ITS APPLICATION TO FLUORESCENCE SPECTRA OF COMETS." The Astrophysical Journal 747 (1): 37 [10.1088/0004-637x/747/1/37] [Journal Article/Letter]
2012. "Water in planetary and cometary atmospheres: H2O/HDO transmittance and fluorescence models." Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 113 (3): 202-220 [10.1016/j.jqsrt.2011.11.001] [Journal Article/Letter]
2011. "The molecular composition of Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini): Evidence of a peculiar outgassing and a rich chemistry." Icarus 216 (1): 227-240 [10.1016/j.icarus.2011.08.024] [Journal Article/Letter]
2011. "LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) Observation Campaign: Strategies, Implementation, and Lessons Learned." Space Sci Rev 167 (1-4): 93-140 [Full Text] [10.1007/s11214-011-9759-y] [Journal Article/Letter]
2010. "The organic composition of Comet C/2000 WM1 (LINEAR) revealed through infrared spectroscopy." Icarus 206 764 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.icarus.2009.09.014] [Journal Article/Letter]
2009. "Strong Release of Methane on Mars in Northern Summer 2003." Science 323 1041 [Full Text] [10.1126/science.1165243] [Journal Article/Letter]
2009. "A multi-wavelength study of parent volatile abundances in Comet C/2006 M4 (SWAN)." Icarus 203 589 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.icarus.2009.05.026] [Journal Article/Letter]
2008. "The organic composition of Comet C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) I Evidence for an unusual organic chemistry." Icarus 194 347 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.icarus.2007.10.006] [Journal Article/Letter]
2008. "The Peculiar Volatile Composition of Comet 8P/Tuttle: A Contact Binary of Chemically Distinct Cometesimals?." The Astrophysical Journal 680 L61 [Full Text] [10.1086/589649] [Journal Article/Letter]
2008. "Reservoirs for Comets: Compositional Differences Based on Infrared Observations." Space Science Reviews 138 127 [Full Text] [10.1007/s11214-008-9361-0] [Journal Article/Letter]
2008. "The Unusual Volatile Composition of the Halley-Type Comet 8P/Tuttle: Addressing the Existence of an Inner Oort Cloud." The Astrophysical Journal 683 L71 [Full Text] [10.1086/591446] [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "A Search for Variation in the H2O Ortho-Para Ratio and Rotational Temperature in the Inner Coma of Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz)." The Astrophysical Journal 661 L97 [Full Text] [10.1086/518419] [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "Temporal evolution of parent volatiles and dust in Comet 9P/Tempel 1 resulting from the Deep Impact experiment." Icarus 191 481 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.icarus.2006.10.042] [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "The organic composition of C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) II Search for heterogeneity within a comet nucleus." Icarus 188 224 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.icarus.2006.11.009] [Journal Article/Letter]
2007. "Depleted Carbon Monoxide in Fragment C of the Jupiter-Family Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3." The Astrophysical Journal 661 L101 [Full Text] [10.1086/518716] [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "A high-resolution infrared spectral survey of Comet C/1999 H1 Lee." Icarus 184 255 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.icarus.2006.04.020] [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "Detection of Formaldehyde Emission in Comet C/2002 T7 (LINEAR) at Infrared Wavelengths: Line-by-Line Validation of Modeled Fluorescent Intensities." The Astrophysical Journal 650 470 [Full Text] [10.1086/507118] [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "A Comprehensive Study of Infrared OH Prompt Emission in Two Comets I Observations and Effective g-Factors." The Astrophysical Journal 653 774 [Full Text] [10.1086/508452] [Journal Article/Letter]
2006. "The Volatile Composition of the Split Ecliptic comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3: A Comparison of Fragments C and B." The Astrophysical Journal 650 L87 [Full Text] [10.1086/508806] [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Water Production Rates, Rotational Temperatures, and Spin Temperatures in Comets C/1999 H1 (Lee), C/1999 S4, and C/2001 A2." The Astrophysical Journal 621 537 [Full Text] [10.1086/427473] [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Deep Impact: Observations from a Worldwide Earth-Based Campaign." Science 310 265 [Full Text] [10.1126/science.1118978] [Journal Article/Letter]
2005. "Parent Volatiles in Comet 9P/Tempel 1: Before and After Impact." Science 310 270 [Full Text] [10.1126/science.1119337] [Journal Article/Letter]
2004. "Imaging Terrestrial Planets." THE SEARCH FOR OTHER WORLDS: Fourteenth Astrophysics Conference AIP Conference Proceedings 713 223 [Full Text] [10.1063/1.1774528] [Journal Article/Letter]
2004. "Water production and release in Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang (C/2002 C1): accurate rotational temperature retrievals from hot-band lines near 29-μm." Icarus 168 186 [Full Text] [10.1016/j.icarus.2003.11.004] [Journal Article/Letter]
2004. "Infrared OH Prompt Emission as a Proxy of Water Production in Comets: Quantitative Analysis of the Multiplet Near 3046 cm-1 in Comets C/1999 H1 (Lee) and C/2001 A2 (LINEAR)." The Astrophysical Journal 615 1048 [Full Text] [10.1086/424587] [Journal Article/Letter]
2003. "Imaging terrestrial planets with a free-flying occulter and space telescope: an optical simulation." Techniques and Instrumentation for Detection of Exoplanets Edited by Coulter, Daniel R Proceedings of the SPIE 5170 262 [Full Text] [10.1117/12.506192] [Journal Article/Letter]
2003. "Remote infrared observations of parent volatiles in comets: A window on the early solar system." Advances in Space Research 31 2563 [Full Text] [10.1016/S0273-1177(03)00578-7] [Journal Article/Letter]
2003. "Methane in Oort cloud comets." Icarus 165 391 [Full Text] [10.1016/S0019-1035(03)00201-X] [Journal Article/Letter]
2001. "A Survey of Organic Volatile Species in Comet C/1999 H1 (Lee) Using NIRSPEC at the Keck Observatory." The Astrophysical Journal 546 1183 [Full Text] [10.1086/318314] [Journal Article/Letter]
2001. "Organic Composition of C/1999 S4 (LINEAR): A Comet Formed Near Jupiter?." Science 292 1334 [Full Text] [10.1126/science.1058929] [Journal Article/Letter]
2001. "Carbon Monoxide Production and Excitation in Comet C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp): Isolation of Native and Distributed CO Sources." Icarus 153 361 [Full Text] [10.1006/icar.2001.6695] [Journal Article/Letter]
2000. "Detection of CO and Ethane in Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner: Evidence for Variable Chemistry in the Outer Solar Nebula." The Astrophysical Journal 531 L155 [Full Text] [10.1086/312530] [Journal Article/Letter]
2000. "Water Production and Release in Comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp." Icarus 143 324 [Full Text] [10.1006/icar.1999.6268] [Journal Article/Letter]
Selected Public Outreach
Comets as Fossils: An Emerging Compositional Taxonomy through Infrared (2.8-5.2 micron) Spectroscopy
April 2021 - Present
Talk given to the Goddard Astronomy Club on March 9, emphasizing results since 2016 that have dramatically increased the number of short-period comets (by at least 7), and also added several long-period comets.