Mars Global Surveyor Magnetic Field Experiment

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Dr. Mario Acuña [1940-2009]

Photo credit: Nora Mainland, JPL

Dr. Acuña was world renown for his work in magnetic fields and plasmas in the solar system, and is one of most prolific and accomplished scientists to ever work at Goddard. He has been an Instrument Scientist, Co-Investigator or Principal Investigator in multiple NASA and ESA missions such as Pioneer, Voyager, Mariner, Giotto, Tether, ISPM, and many others, and the Principal Investigator or Lead Scientist for the magnetometer investigations on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission, Mars Global Surveyor, Lunar Prospector, Messenger and STEREO. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2007 and was honored by NASA with numerous prestigious awards including the GSFC John C. Lindsay and Moe I. Schneebaum Memorial Awards, the Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, the Distinguished Service Medal and a Presidential Meritorious Rank Award. His death follows a valiant fight against multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood. He leaves a devoted wife, Barbara; sons Jamie, Andrew, and Daniel; daughter Marta, and five grandchildren.

Last Position

Senior Astrophysicist, Planetary Magnetospheres Lab

Education

Professional Societies and Selected Awards

Professional Experience

From 1969 to 2009 Dr. Acuña was associated with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center where his interests centered around experimental investigations of the magnetic fields and plasmas in the solar system. He served as the US Project Scientist for the ISTP Program and Instrument Scientist, Co-Investigator or Principal Investigator in multiple NASA and ESA missions such as Pioneer, Voyager, Mariner, Giotto, Tether, ISPM, and many others. Dr. Acuña was the Principal Investigator or Lead Scientist for the magnetometer investigations on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission, Mars Global Surveyor, Lunar Prospector, Messenger and STEREO. He has been honored by NASA with numerous prestigious awards including the GSFC John C. Lindsay and Moe I. Schneebaum Memorial Awards, the Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, the Distinguished Service Medal and a Presidential Meritorious Rank Award in recognition for his contributions to magnetometry and space research.

Selected Publications (out of a total >180)

2007 Mitchell, D.L., R.J. Lillis, R.P. Lin, J.E.P. Connerney, and M.H. Acuña, "A global map of Mars' crustal magnetic field based on electron ref lectometry", Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 112, Issue E1, CiteID E01002, doi :10.1029/2005JE002564, 09 January 2007.

2006 Hausman, B.A., F.C. Michel, J.R. Espley, P.A. Cloutier, and M .H. Acuña, "Measuring noise in magnetometers: An example using the Mars Global Surveyor magnetometers", Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 111, Issue A11, CiteI D A11208, doi: 10.1029/2005JA011470, November 2006.

2006 Trotignon, J.G., C. Mazelle, C. Bertucci, and M.H. Acuñ ;a, "Martian shock and magnetic pile-up boundary positions and shapes determined from the Phobos 2 and Mars Global Surveyor data sets", Planetary and Space Science, Volume 54, Issue 4, pp. 357-369, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2006.01.003, April 2006.

2006 Lillis, R.J., M. Manga, D.L. Mitchell, R.P. Lin, and M.H. Acu ña, "Unusual magnetic signature of the Hadriaca Patera Volcano: Implications fo r early Mars", Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 33, Issue 3, CiteID L03202, doi: 1 0.1029/2005GL024905, February 2006.

2006 Brain, D.A., J.S. Halekas, L.M. Peticolas, R.P. Lin, J.G. Luh mann, D.L. Mitchell, G.T. Delory, S.W. Bougher, M.H. Acuña, H. Rème, "On the origin of aurorae on Mars", Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 33, Issue 1, Cit eID L01201, doi: 10.1029/2005GL024782, 05 January 2006.

2005 Bertucci, C., C. Mazelle, and M. Acuña, "Structure and variability of the Martian magnetic pileup boundary and bow shock from MGS MAG/ER obs ervations", Advances in Space Research, Volume 36, Issue 11, pp. 2066-2076 (Sp. Iss. 2 005), 10.1016/j.asr.2005.05.096, 2005.

2005 Connerney, J.E.P., M.H. Acuña, N.F. Ness, G. Kletetsch ka, D.L. Mitchell, R.P. Lin, and H. Rème, "Tectonic implications of Mars crusta l magnetism", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 102, Iss. 42, pp. 14970-14975, doi: 10.1073/pnas.0507469102, 18 Oct 2005.

2005 Burlaga, L.F., Ness, N.F., Acuña, M.H., Lepping, R. P. , Connerney, J.E.P., Stone, E.C., McDonald, F.B., "Crossing the Termination Shock into the Heliosheath", Magnetic Fields Science, Volume 309, Issue 5743, pp. 2027-2029 (2005).

2004 Kletetschka, G., M.H. Acuña, T. Kohout, P.J. Wasilewsk i, and J.E.P. Connerney, "An Empirical Scaling Law for Acquisition of Thermoremanent M agnetization", Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Volume 226, Issue 3-4, pp. 521-528 , October 2004.

2004 Winterhalter, D., M. Acuña, and A. Zakharov (Eds.) (20 04), "Mars' Magnetism and its Interaction with the Solar Wind", Kluwer Academic Publis hers, Dordrecht. Abstract, Reprinted from Space Science Reviews, Volume 111, Issue 1, 2004.

2004 Connerney, J.E.P., M.H. Acuña, N.F. Ness, T. Spohn, an d G. Schubert, "Mars crustal magnetism", Space Science Reviews, Volume 111, Issue 1, p p. 1-32, doi: 10.1023/B:SPAC.0000032719.40094.1d, March 2004.

2004 Vignes, D., M.H. Acuña, J.E.P. Connerney, D.H. Crider, H. Rème, and C. Mazelle, "Magnetic flux ropes in the Martian atmosphere: Globa l characteristics", Space Science Reviews, Volume 111, Issue 1, pp. 223-231, doi: 10.1 023/B:SPAC.0000032716.21619.f2, March 2004.

2003 Acuña, M.H., "The magnetic field of Mars", The Leading Edge, Volume 22, Issue 8, pp. 769-771, 2003.

2002 Acuña, M. H. (2002), "Space-based magnetometers", Revi ew of Scientific Instruments, 73(11): 3717-3736.

2002 Acuña, M. H., B. J. Anderson, et al. (2002), "NEAR mag netic field observations at 433 Eros: First measurements from the surface of an astero id.", Icarus, 155(1): 220-228.

2001 Acuña, M. H., J. E. P. Connerney, et al. (2001), "Magn etic field of Mars: Summary of results from the aerobraking and mapping orbits.", J. G eophys. Res., 106(E10): 23403-23417.

1999 J. E. P. Connerney, M. H. Acuña, P. Wasilewski, N. F. Ness, H. Rème, C. Mazelle, D. Vignes, R. P. Lin, D. Mitchell, and P. Cloutier, "Magnetic lineations in the ancient crust of Mars", Science, 284, 794, 1999.

1999 L. L. Hood, D. L. Mitchell, R. P. Lin, M. H. Acuña and A. B. Binder, "Initial Measurements of the Lunar Induced Dipole Moment using Lunar Pr ospector Magnetometer Data", Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 2327-2330, 1999.

1999 M. H. Acuña, 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 magnetism discovered by the Mars Global Surveyor MAG/ER Experiment", Science, 284, 790, 1999.

1998 M. H. Acuña, J. E. P. Connerney, P. Wasilewski, R. P. Lin, K. A. Anderson, C. W. Carlson, J. M. McFadden, D. W. Curtis, D. Mitchell, H. R&eg rave;me, C. Mazelle, J. A. Savaud, C. d'Uston, A. Cros, J. L. Medale, S. J. Bauer, P. Cloutier, M. Mayhew, D. Winterhalter, N. F. Ness, "Magnetic Field and Plasma Observati ons at Mars: Initial Results of the Mars Global Surveyor Mission", Science, 279, 1676- 1680, 1998.

1998 C. W. Smith, J. L'Heureux, N.F. Ness, M. H. Acuña, L. F. Burlaga, and J. L. Scheifele, "The ACE Magnetic Fields Experiment", Space Sci. Rev. , 86: (1-4), 613-632, 1998.

1997 M.H. Acuña and K.W. Ogilvie, "Space Physics Instrument ation", in "Encyclopedia of Applied Physics", Vol.19, 129-155, G. Trigg editor, VCH Pu blishers, Inc., 1997.

1997 M.H. Acuña, "Magnetometry", in Encyclopedia of Planeta ry Sciences, J.H. Shirley and R.W. Fairbridge editors, 406-410, Chapman and Hall pubs. , 1997.

1993 A. Balogh, S.W.H. Cowley, M.W. Dunlop, D.J. Southwood, J.G. Thomlinson, K.-H. Glassmeier, G. Musmann, H. Lühr, M. H. Acuña, D.H. Fairf ield, J.A. Slavin, W. Riedler, K. Schwingenschuh, F.M. Neubauer, M.G. Kivelson, R.C. E lphic, F. Primdahl, A. Roux, and B.T. Tsurutani, "The Cluster Magnetic Field Investiga tion: Scientific Objectives and Instrumentation", In ESA Cluster: Mission, Payload and Supporting Activities, ESA Publications Division, SP-1159, 95-114, 1993.

1991 J. E. P. Connerney, M. H. Acuña, and N. F. Ness, "The magnetic field of Neptune", J. Geophys. Res., 96, 19023 - 19042, 1991.

1988 M. H. Acuña, J. E. P. Connerney, and N. F. Ness, "Impl ications of the GSFC Q3 Model for Trapped Particle Motion", J. Geophys. Res..93, 5505- 5512, 1988.

1983 M. H. Acuña, J. E. P. Connerney, and N. F. Ness, "The Z3 Zonal harmonic Model of Saturn's Magnetic Field: Analyses and Implications", J.Geo phys. Res., 88, 8771-8778, 1983.

1983 M. H. Acuña, J. E. P. Connerney, and K.W. Behannon, "M agnetic Field and Magnetosphere", in Physics of the Jovian Magnetosphere, pp 1-50, A. J. Dessler editor, Cambridge University Press, 1983.

1982 J. E. P. Connerney, M. H. Acuña, and N. F. Ness, "Voy ager 1 Assessment of Jupiter's Planetary Magnetic Field", J. Geophys. Res., 87, 3623-3 627, 1982.

1981 M. H. Acuña, F. M. Neubauer and N. F. Ness, "Standing Alfven Wave Current System at Io: Voyager 1 Observations", J. Geophys.Res, 86, 8513- 8 521, 1981.

1981 J. E. P. Connerney, M. H. Acuña and N. F. Ness, "Mod eling the Jovian Current Sheet and Inner Magnetosphere", J. Geophys. Res .,86, 8370- 8384.

1981 J. W. Belcher, C. K. Goertz, J. D. Sullivan, and M. H. Acu&nt ilde;a, "Plasma Observations of the Alfven Wave Generated by Io", J. of Geophys. Res., 86, 8508-8512, 1981.

1980 M. H. Acuña and N. F. Ness, "The Magnetic Field of Sat urn: Pioneer 11 Observations", Science, 207, 444-446, 1980.

1980 M. H. Acuña, N. F. Ness and J. E. P. Connerney, "The Magnetic Field of Saturn: Further Studies of the Pioneer 11 Observations", J. Geophys. Res., 85, 5675, 1980.

1979 N. F. Ness, M. H. Acuña, R. P. Lepping, L. F. Burlaga , K. W. Behannon and F. M. Neubauer, "Magnetic Field Studies at Jupiter by Voyager 2: Preliminary Results", Science, 206, 966, 1981.

1979 M.H. Acuña, L. F. Burlaga, R. P. Lepping and N. F. Nes s, "Initial Results from the Voyagers 1 and 2 Magnetic Field Experiments", in Contribu tions to the Fourth Solar Wind Conference, NASA TM 79711, February 1979.

1979 N.F.Ness, M. H. Acuña, R. P. Lepping, L. F. Burlaga, K. W. Behannon and F. M. Neubauer, "Magnetic Field Studies at Jupiter by Voyager 1: Pr eliminary Results", Science, 204, 982, 1979.

1977 K. W. Behannon, M.H. Acuña, L. F. Burlaga, R. P. Leppi ng, N. F. Ness and F. M. Neubauer, "Magnetic Field Experiment for Voyagers 1 and 2"., Space Sci. Rev.,21, 235, 1977.

NASA Official: Ron Oliversen
Email: Ronald.J.Oliversen@nasa.gov
Curator: Patricia Lawton, ADNET Systems, Inc.
Email: Patricia.J.Lawton@nasa.gov

Last Modified: 17 January 2017

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