National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Models, Evidence and Explanation in
NASA Science
Lindsay Marie Bartolone
Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX)
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
www.nasa.gov
Examples of Models?
What models have you seen today?
Galileo's "Jovilabe", 17th century Image Credit: Istituto e
Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florence
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Examples of Evidence?
What evidence has been provided to
support a model?
Spectrum Image Credit: Imagine the Universe:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/teachers/lessons/xr
ay_spectra/worksheet-specgraph2-sol.html
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Model of the solar system that changes
over time?
What is in a model of the Solar
System?
Where does the solar system end?
NASA’s Kepler mission planet transit model
Image Credit: Lindsay Bartolone
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A simple 2-D model of the termination shock
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H.264 decompressor
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QuickTime™ and a
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Movie Credit: IBEX Science Team
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The “flowing water termination shock
model” illustrated:
Termination shock
Solar wind
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What can we use to define the boundary of
our Solar System?
The heliosphere defines one
type of boundary of our
Solar System.
The boundary of our Solar
System is defined by the
region where the solar
wind and the interstellar
medium collide.
An artist’s rendition of our heliosphere.
Image credit: Walt Feimer, NASA
GSFC
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What is IBEX?
IBEX is a NASA-funded Small Explorer
satellite mission to orbit Earth and map
the boundary of the Solar System.
The acronym IBEX stands for Interstellar
Boundary Explorer.
An artist’s rendition of the IBEX spacecraft. Image Credit: Walt
Feimer, NASA GSFC
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The current model of the Heliosphere
Model: Strong vs Weak
shock
Evidence: IBEX will
dramatically increase the
amount of data that we
have about the boundary
of the Solar System.
Explanation:???
Sample Global ENA Map with Voyager 1
and 2 positions inset. Image Credit:
IBEX Team
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How will IBEX data create a map of the
boundary?
QuickTime™ and a
H.264
decompressor
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Movie Credit: IBEX Team
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Model of the Universe that changes over
time?
Has the Universe always been the
same?
Will it be the same forever?
WMAP Full Sky Map Image credits: NASA/WMAP
Science Team
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Model of the Universe that changes over
time?
Has the Universe always been
the same?
Will it be the same forever?
Journey through the Universe Image credit:
NASA/WMAP Science Team
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Model of the Universe that changes over
time?
Model: Big Bang Theory and
Inflation
Ripples in the Universe Image credit:
NASA/WMAP Science Team
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Model of the Universe that changes over
time?
Evidence: WMAP Full sky
maps
WMAP Full Sky Map Image credit:
NASA/WMAP Science Team
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Model of the Universe that changes over
time?
QuickTime™ and a
H.264 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Explanation: Big Bang Theory
predicts left over light an
heat from early Universe that
is very uniform. Inflation
predicts certain average size
“spots” and that is what we
observe. So the Universe
was dense and hot in the
past, has expanded and
cooled ever since.
WMAP Full Sky Map Image credit:
NASA/WMAP Science Team
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Resources?
IBEX Homepage: http://ibex.swri.edu
WMAP Homepage: http://wmap.gsfc.nasa.gov
US IYA page: http://astronomy2009.org
Model the Universe and other resources:
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/seuforum/learningresources.htm
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