LF2

Laboratory facilities for planetary simulation
Convener: Gareth Davies 
Oral Program
 / Thu, 23 Sep, 13:30–14:25  / Room Workshop Room 1
Poster Program
 / Attendance Thu, 23 Sep, 17:30–19:00  / Poster Area

This session reports on the innovative techniques being applied under laboratory conditions to simulate the extremely varied surface and atmospheric conditions that occur on the planets and moons in our Solar System. Presentations will discuss how instrumentation for future planetary missions is being designed and tested under conditions relevant for future planetary missions and the progress being made in obtaining a better quantitative understanding of the processes operating on planetary bodies.

Public information: Conditions at or near the surfaces of planets and moons in our solar system are extremely varied. For example temperature varies from close to absolute zero to 100’s of degrees centigrade and pressure from many thousands of times greater than at the surface of the Earth to close to a perfect vacuum. Understanding and quantifying the processes that operate in such varied conditions provides planetary scientists with a major challenge. This session on laboratory facilities provides a brief look into some of the innovative technologies that are being combined to simulate planetary conditions. In addition, results will be presented that illustrate how instrumentation for future planetary missions is being designed and tested under relevant conditions and the progress being made in obtaining a better quantitative understanding of the processes operating on planetary bodies within our Solar System.