Experimenting with the Earliest Stages of Planet Formation

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Overarching aim: Our scientific goal is to describe, qualitatively and quantitatively, the collisions that dominate the earliest stages of icy planetesimal-formation, to answer, "how do planets form?" We are one of four groups world-wide approaching this empirically, using laboratory experiments to test icy grain collisions, taking advantage of the microgravity duration and quality in parabolic and sub-orbital flight, to study cm to sub-cm s-1 collisions between ensembles of um-sized icy grains, forming um - mm sized 'fluffy' ice aggregates, that stick to form cm-sized icy 'pebbles'. These "ingredients" form the basis of material that aggregates in protoplanetary disks (including our own pre-solar nebula) to form the cores of planets, comets and asteroids.This PhD: This PhD will focus on laboratory work to produce and characterise the porous amorphous icy particles required for such experiments, moving from coarse proof of concept experiments in the laboratory, to large-scale reproducible production of icy grains, which will be characterised through neutron scattering experiments, and IR spectroscopy, and whose behaviour will be tested in drop tower and parabolic flight experiments. The PhD offers scope for international and industrial collaboration, and will include significant facilities use requiring week(s) on "in situ" experimentation away from the OU. There is also an opportunity to apply the research to understanding of mission data (e.g. Rosetta, OSIRIS Rex, Phobos sample return), and astronomical observations (e.g. JWST and ALMA).