Project 29:
Ryan will use the thin-film station in the Astrophysical Ice Laboratory to grow ices of semi-heavy water (HDO) and heavy water (D2O). He will combine the laboratory spectra with a Python model to derive optical constants for HDO and D2O. These will be the first optical constants for frozen HDO and D2O at the temperatures of outer Solar System objects. They will be essential for deriving D/H ratios on the surfaces of icy outer Solar System bodies.
Ryan will collect the spectra using the thin film station in the Astrophysical Ices Laboratory. He is already familiar with the cryogenic, vacuum, and laser systems necessary to carry out the experiments. He is now familiar with the model to derive optical constants. I expect he will run one experiment per week requiring about four hours per week. I estimate he will require two hours per week for analysis work. In total, I expect he’ll work six hours per week.
If Ryan is successful, his HDO and D2O optical constants will be in demand by JWST observers to derive D/H ratios in outer Solar System icy surfaces. It will result in a highly cited publication. I expect to use the optical constants to analyze JWST data and proposed for JWST timeS.