Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach Nathalie A. Cabrol Director, Carl Sagan Center, Pamela Harman, Acting Director, Center for Education Rebecca McDonald Director, Center for Outreach Bill Diamond President & CEO The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach TABLE OF CONTENTS Peer-reviewed publications 10 Conferences: Abstracts & Proceedings 18 Technical Reports & Data Releases 29 Outreach, Media Coverage, Web Stories & Interviews 31 Invited Talks (Professional & Public) 39 Highlights, Significant Events & Activities 46 Fieldwork 52 Honors & Awards 54 Missions, Observations & Strategic Planning 56 Acknowledgements 60 The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach FROM THE SETI INSTITUTE President and CEO Dear friends, The scientists, educators and outreach professionals of the SETI Institute had yet another banner year of productivity in 2017. We are delighted to present our 2nd annual report, cataloging the research and education programs of the Institute, as well as the myriad of mainstream media stories about our people and our work. Among the highlights from this year’s report are 147 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, 225 conference proceedings and abstracts, 172 media stories and interviews, and 177 invited talks. The report also highlights 16 of our researchers and educators who were honored with more than twenty different committee chair positions, fellowships and NASA achievement awards for their extraordinary work. Honors and recognitions included: • Edna DeVore was selected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advance- ment of Science • Doug Caldwell was cited among the “World’s Most Impactful Researchers” by Clari- vate Analytics • Fergal Mullally received the NASA 2017 Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for revolutionary Kepler Object of Interest Vetting. • Mark Showalter received a NASA Group Achievement Award, granted to the New Horizons team • Margaret Race was appointed Senior Scientific Editor of the Astrobiology Journal • Driss Takir received a NASA Silver Achievement Medal for contributions to the char- acterization of asteroid Bennu with the OSIRIS-Rex team In addition, The SETI Institute was recognized as a “Top 100 NASA Contractor” for 2016 and we received the Alliance Award from the Girl Scouts of Northern California in The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach recognition of outstanding support. Lastly, Mark Showalter, Edna DeVore and Seth Shostak were named as the first Fellows of the Institute. We’ve added new sections to this year’s report highlighting our contributions to planned and ongoing NASA missions, submission of mission planning concepts, participation on official committees and working groups, and time allocations on major observational platforms, including Arecibo, Greenbank, the Very Large Array (VLA), the Spitzer Space Telescope, SOFIA, Hubble and more. Sharing our work with the public is a core element of our mission as a world-class research institution. I encourage you to peruse the following pages and get better acquainted with our amazing team and the compelling and impactful work they do. Sincerely, Bill Diamond President and CEO February 20, 2018 The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach CARL SAGAN CENTER for the study of life in the universe Taking Flight! This year was a very successful year for the Carl Sagan Center (CSC), and this impres- sive report is a reflection of your commitment to excellence: We are publishing in high profile journals; we are recognized leaders in our fields, and our work is being acknowl- edged regularly by our peers through prestigious honors and awards. We also share our passion of exploration and discovery with the public, and I am always amazed to see how the number of our public lectures often times surpass our professional presentations. That speaks volume about dedication. You are the best advocates of the Institute, and in a world where education is facing so many challenges, you are the voice of science and the keepers of the flame for the next generation. This year also marked Cassini’s Grand Finale. Many of you were involved with this prestigious mission, For all of us, the day Cassini plunged into Saturn’s atmosphere was bittersweet. However, as one mission ends, new ones are being readied (e.g., JWST, TESS, Mars 2020, ExoMars, and others), and the SETI Institute is already present at various levels in these missions, and will be directly involved with these exciting new chapters of exploration. When it comes to the inner workings of the CSC, this year brought a real improvement in our proposal success rate. During the retreat at Asilomar, I shared with you my con- cerns about the 2016 numbers, and together, we took a hard look at what could be im- proved. The Science Council took charge and went through a deep review and some soul searching to understand how to be more successful. As a result, there is now a process to help you with grant writing and proposal submission, and we will make sure to provide you all the support we can to keep the momentum going. Meanwhile, you took charge too. I was delighted to see how you started to communicate with each other, review each other’s proposals whenever possible, asked for advice and for collaboration, and sometimes for instruments as well, within the SETI Institute The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach community. This is really what it is all about: team work. Yes, we do sometimes compete against each other for the same grant money, and will continue to do so; but we are also learning to work together whenever possible, and in doing so, we are becoming stronger. The success of one is the success of all, and this is starting to pay dividend, literally. Since the retreat, we have received now over two third of the results for the 2017 proposal season. At this point in time, our success rate is above national average by a good margin. It is an average over all programs, and success is program-depen- dent. There are still areas that will require serious work but, overall, 2017 is turning out to be a very successful year, and you should be extremely proud of this. Your engagement in the process is key to this success. It will be even more important in the coming months, as we are de- fining the strategic vision for the years to come, creating new opportunities for us all through new collaborations, and new ways of doing business. Your engagement with your Research Group Chairs and the Science Council will be key. Remem- ber, this is your Institute, and by being involved, you are making your voice heard, and help shape your own future. While I am here to steer and suggest, I am also – and more importantly – here to listen and help, and to implement your ideas to the best of my abilities. As I always say: My door is always open, and I am also only one email away. Indeed, there is a lot to be proud of this year, and we will celebrate all these successes together. While there is always prog- ress to be made, I certainly can say that this year saw us all starting to think as a unit, and working more with, and for, each other. Embarking on that path was critical, and you are making it happen. I would like to end this letter by thanking all of those who are working behind the scene to make it all happen every single day in all departments of the Institute. Thank you! Nathalie A. Cabrol Director, SETI Institute Carl Sagan Center January 19, 2018 The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach CENTER FOR EDUCATION The 2017 Activity Report, a copious compendium of events and publications, is just the tip of the iceberg of the undertakings and efforts of the SETI Institute in the name of education and public engagement. Our day to day efforts, and incremental milestones are a significant part of our 2017 report. The Center for Education pillar programs, NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) and Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts progressed through the kick-off, professional development, flight week experiences, and evaluation of the Cycle 6 AAA; and rounds of testing and revising Girl Scout Space Science Badges, as well as holding astronomy camps. Unique in 2017, Girl Scout Destination Camps on the path of eclipse totality, and Girl Scout Eclipse Boxes & Activity Guides were successful due to great collaboration with our Co-Investigators. We were fortunate to have the REU and FDL programs on site, and look forward to the energy those programs bring to us. I offer my sincere gratitude to my Institute colleagues that embraced communication and collaboration across centers, that mentor students and life-long learners, that give public talks and that visit classrooms and libraries. Pamela Harman Acting Director, SETI Institute Center for Education The SETI Institute: 189 N Bernardo Avenue Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043. Phone: (650) 961-6633 Activity Report 2017 Research, Education and Public Outreach CENTER FOR OUTREACH 2017 was an amazing year in so many ways. At the SETI Institute, our more than 75 sci- entists and researchers have continued to advance the SETI Institute’s mission to explore, understand and explain the origin and nature of life in the universe, and the evolution of intelligence.