Goddard Space Flight Cente r
Astrochemistry Laboratory

Astrochemistry Laboratory


Picture of Peter Wasilewski

Peter Wasilewski

Astrochemistry Laboratory
NASA/GSFC, Code 691
Greenbelt, MD 20771

Phone: (301) 286-8317

Email: Peter Wasilewski

Current Position


    Astrophysicist, Astrochemistry Laboratory

Education


BS (1961) and MS (1965) from George Washington University
DSc (1969) from University of Tokyo

Professional Experience


    Wasilewski set up a Magnetic Properties Lab soon after arriving at Goddard and for most of the tenure was funded from NASA headquarters to conduct research on magnetic properties of Lunar samples, meteorites, and terrestrial rocks. The research resulted in 88 papers with Wasilewski as primary or significant contributing author.
    During the tenure there were five expeditions to Antarctica to search for meteorites and to participate in the 25th anniversary Japanese expedition as guest observer. Additionally during the MAGSAT program trips to Pakistan, Japan, Australia were done to collect Xenoliths and crustal section material for work that was pioneered by Wasilewski in attempting to understand the source of deep crustal magnetization. More recently trips to the edge of the Amazon rainforest in Bolivia were made to attempt the verification of the Iturralde structure as an impact crater.
    Impact The research that Wasilewski was responsible for at Goddard netted 88 papers published in peer reviewed journals. Wasilewski has served as reviewer of scientific manuscripts and proposals.

    Leadership Developed experimental approaches to address: origins of Lunar sample and meteorite magnetic records, sources of deep crustal magnetization and the influence of shock impact on magnetic records. Leader in the interpretation of the NEAR magnetometer record and the Iturralde Crater Expedition (ICE 2002).

    Was PI or coPI for ICE2002, Magsat interpretation, and meteorite magnetism programs. Directors Discretionary Fund (DDF)

  • Iturralde Structure 1998
  • Iturralde Structure 2001-2002
  • Magnetic Hot Spots 1999-2000
  • Meteorite/Asteroid match 1997-1998

    • NASA Flight Programs Peter Wasilewski was part of the magnetometer teams for these missions and the role was to assist in the interpretation phase.

  • Mars Global Surveyor Magnetometer team
  • NEAR magnetometer team

    • MAGPLANE Peter Wasilewski was responsible for the Magplane concept - Brought together Dr.Acuna and Pat Coronado to create the Magplane for the purpose of Surveying the Iturralde Crater.

    Services
    At various times the Magnetism Lab has performed services for codes 691 ,695, and 660 and presently for the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST).

    Microshutter Arrays for NGST
    The Code 691 magnetic property lab is participating in the development of the microshutter arrays for the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) Multi Object Spectrometer (MOS)

    The Teacher as Scientist (TAS) program which includes the History of Winter (HOW) and the Iturralde Crater Expedition is a long term teacher training program conducted with the GSFC Education office.

    The Goddard magnetism lab has served as mentor for Post Doc fellows , university students, high school students each summer.

    Education

    Wasilewski has enhanced his background and evolved new lines of research during the tenure at Goddard.. Theses include snow and ice studies and related global climate changer topics.

    Throughout his tenure Wasilewski has attended conferences: AGU, IUGG, IAGA, LPSC, and various topical conferences on Shock Impact, Geomagnetism, etc.

    ICE2002 and HOW
    The ICE and How programs attempted (with results) to bring Science and education into focus for the purpose of enhancing science teacher training.
    http://www.blueiceonline.org/blueweb/ice2002.html
    http://www.blueiceonline.org/bolivia/bolflass5.html
    http://www.blueiceonline.org/howsite/howindex.html

Major Research Activities


  • Suggested the correlation between magnetic properties and spectral signature of the principal meteorite groups.
  • Magnetochemistry of the lunar surface- correlating magnetic properties with chemistry and remote spectral reflectance.
  • Magnetic hysteresis classification of lunar samples.
  • Explanation for the properties and mechanism of the lodestone, nature's only permanent magnet.
  • Pioneered the use of free fall (zero "g") solidification in the production of FeNi spheres and determination of magnetic properties for these analog materials.
  • Pioneered the use of gas gun shock experiments to study magnetization associated with shock impact using unique copper (iron) alloys to characterize the influence of first -order shock induced transformations. Established the characteristics of the TMRM mechanism.
  • Pioneered use of Xenoliths and crustal sections to infer magnetic structure of continental lithosphere and in particular established the MOHO as a probable magnetic boundary.
  • Development of magnetic petrology as a subdiscipline in support of MAGSAT interpretation.
  • Developed the MAGPLANE for Iturralde crater verification via magnetometer survey.

Award


NASA Community Service Award, 1992.

Member


American Geophysical Union
Japan Society of Geomagnetism and Geoelectricity

Antarctic Service Medal-Given to Wasilewski from the National Science Foundation for his Antarctic service.

Mount Wasilewski in Antarctica is named after Peter Wasilewski.

  • Developed Rock Magnetism Lab
  • Advisor to NASA pre-doctoral fellow Paul Kelso, University of Minnesota.
  • Advisor to Charles Schlinger who received a PhD from Johns Hopkins University,
  • Mentor to Sharp Students, space club students, and summer faculty fellows.
  • Developed an ice laboratory at Goddard to study ice from Antarctica and Greenland ice caps.
  • Collaborated with: Russian scientists, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, University of Wisconsin, Johns Hopkins University, Clemson University, Howard University, National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR)- Tokyo ,Japan, Charles University (Prague-Czech Republic) Unjiversity of Utah, Peshawar University.


    • Selected Publications


    2002  Wasilewski, P.J., M.H.Acuna and G.Kletetschka 433 Eros, problems with the meteorite magnetic record in attemptoing an asteroid match. Meteoritics Planet. Science, 37, 937-950.

    2002&mbsp; Acuna,M.H., B.J.Anderson, C.T.Russell, P. Wasilewski, G.Kletetschka, L.Zanetti, and N.Omidi NEAR magnetic field observations at 433 Eros: First measurements from the surface of an Asteroid. Icarus 155, 220-228.

    2001  Connerney,J.E.P., M.H.Acuna, P.J.Wasilewski, G.Kletetschka, N.F.Ness, H.Reme, R.P.Lin, and D.L.Mitchell The global magnetic field of Mars and implications for crustal evolution. Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 4015-4018.

    2001  Connerney, J.E.P., M.H.Acuna, P.J.Wasilewski, G.Kletetschka. The Global Magnetic field of Mars and implications for crustal evolution. Geoph. Res. Lett. 28, 4015-4018.

    2000  Nazarova, K.A. P.J. Wasilewski and H.J.B. Dick, Magnetic study of Serpentinized Harzburgites from the Islas Orcadas fracture zone. Marine Geophys. Res. 21 475-488.

    2000  Kletetschka, G. Wasilewski, P. J. and Taylor, P. T.,The role of hematite - ilmenite solid solution in the production of magnetic anomalies in ground and satellite based data. Tectonophysics.

    2000  Wasilewski,P.J. G.Kletetschka, and T. Dickinson, Magnetic characterization of reduction in Mount Fuji basaltic tree mold. Geophysical Research Letters, 27, 1543-1546.

    2000  Kletetschka, G., P. J. Wasilewski,and P. T. Taylor, Mineralogy of the sources for magnetic anomalies on Mars, Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 35, 895-899.

    2000  Kletetschka G. P.J. Wasilewski and P.T.Taylor TRM properties of MD sized hematite. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 176, 469-479.

    2000  Kletetschka, G., P. J. Wasilewski , and P. T. Taylor, Hematite vs magnetite as the signature for planetary anomalies. Physics of Earth and Planetary Interiors. 119, 259-267.

    2000  Dickinson,T.L and P.Wasilewski, Shock Magnetism in Fine Particle Iron Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 35, 65-74.

    2000  Wasilewski,P. and T.Dickinson, Aspects of the Validation of Magnetic Remanence in Meteorites , Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 35, 537-544.

    2000  Kletetschka, G., P. T. Taylor, P. J. Wasilewski and H. G. M. Hill, The magnetic properties of aggregate polycrystalline diamond: Implication for carbonado petrogenesis. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 181, 279-290.

    1999  Connerney, J. E. P., M. H. Acuña, P. J. Wasilewski, N. F. Ness, H. Reme, C. Mazelle, D. Vignes, R. P. Lin, D. L. Mitchell and P. A. Cloutier, Magnetic Lineations in the Ancient Crust of Mars. Science, 284, 794-798.

    1999  Acuņa, M. H., J. E. P. Connerney, N. F. Ness, R. P. Lin, D. Mitchell, C. W. Carlson, J. McFadden, K. A. Anderson, H. Rème, C. Mazelle, D. Vignes, P. Wasilewski and P. Cloutier, Global Distribution of Crustal Magnetization Discovered by the Mars Global Surveyor MAG/ER Experiment. Science, 284, 790-793.

    1999  Wasilewski, P. and G. Kletetschka, Lodestone - Natures Only Permanent Magnet, what it is and how it gets charged. Geophysical research letters, 26, 2275-2278.

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