Peter Ford's Home Page

Peter Ford

Principal Research Scientist at MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.
Address: MIT 37-571, 70 Vassar St., Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA.
Tel: 617-253-6485, Fax: 617-253-0861, Email: pgf@space.mit.edu.

Principal Investigator, NASA Cassini Data Analysis Program.
Current instrument teams: Chandra/ACIS, and TESS.
Manager, Flight Software, Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS).
Chandra Science Center, Science Operations Team

Author, General Image Processing System (GIPS).
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Computing Facility Science Advisory Committee, 2005-10.
Editor, NasaNews, a daily on-line bulletin.

B.A. (Physics) Oxford, 1966; Ph.D. (Physics) Brandeis, 1973.
Faculté des Sciences, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), 1973-4.
Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen, 1974-6.
MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences, 1976-85.
MIT Kavli Institute (formerly the Center for Space Research) 1985-.

"The Radar Scattering Properties of Venus Landforms", P. G. Ford and D. A. Senske, Geophys. Res. Let., 17, 9, 1361 (1990).
"Magellan: Radar Performance and Data Products", G. H. Pettengill, P. G. Ford, W. T. K. Johnson, R. K. Raney, and L. A. Soderblom, Science, 252, 260-265 (1991).
"Magellan: Electrical and Physical Properties of Venus' Surface", G. L. Tyler, P. G. Ford, D. B. Campbell, C. Elachi, G. H. Pettengill, and R. A. Simpson, Science, 252, 265-270 (1991).
"Results from the Magellan Altimeter", P. G. Ford, G. H. Pettengill, and F. Liu, in ESA "Radars and Lidars in Earth and Planetary Sciences", p.39-44 (1991).
"ASTRA: Altimetry and Sounding of Titan with a Radar on a descending craft," P. Kamoun, J. C. Anne, and P. G. Ford in ESA "Radars and Lidars in Earth and Planetary Sciences", p.71-78 (1991).
"Venus Surface Radiothermal Emission", G. H. Pettengill, P. G. Ford, and R. J. Wilt, J. Geophys. Res., 97, E8, 13,091-13,102 (1992).
"Venus Topography and Kilometer-Scale Slopes", P. G. Ford and G. H. Pettengill, J. Geophys. Res., 97, E8, 13,103-13,114 (1992).
"Features on Venus Generated by Plate Boundary Processes", D. P. McKenzie, P. G. Ford, C. Johnson, B. Parsons, D. Sandwell, R. S. Saunders, and S. C. Solomon, J. Geophys. Res., 97, E8, 13,533-13,544 (1992).
"Fractal Analysis of Venus Topography in Tinatin Planitia and Ovda Regio", A. Kucinskas, D. Turcotte, Huang, and P. G. Ford, J. Geophys. Res., 97, E8, 13,635-13,642 (1992).
"Pancakelike Domes on Venus", D. P. McKenzie, P. G. Ford, F. Liu, and G. H. Pettengill, J. Geophys. Res., 97, E10, 15,967-15,976 (1992).
"Venus: Center-of-Figure -- Center-of-Mass Offset", D. L. Bindschadler, G. Schubert, and P. G. Ford, Icarus, 111, 2, 417-432 (1994).
"The Isostatic State of Mead Crater", W. B. Banerdt, A. S. Konopliv, N. J. Rappaport, W. L. Sjogren, R. E. Grimm, and P. G. Ford, Icarus, 112, 1, 117-129 (1994).
"The Radar Scattering Properties of Steep-Sided Domes on Venus", P. G. Ford, Icarus, 112, 1, 204-215 (1994).
"Electrical Properties of the Venus Surface from Bistatic Radar Observations", G. H. Pettengill, P. G. Ford, and R. A. Simpson, Science, 272, 1628 (1996).
"Radar Mapping of the Lunar Poles: A Search for Ice Deposits", N. J. S. Stacy, D. B. Campbell, and P. G. Ford, Science, 276, 1527 (1997).
"The Possibility of Ice on the Moon", N. J. S. Stacy, D. B. Campbell, and P. G. Ford, Science, 278, 144 (technical comment) (1997).
"Observations of the North Polar Region of Mars from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter", M. T. Zuber, et al., Science, 282, 2053 (1998).
"An Improved 360 Degree and Order Model of Venus Topography", N. J. Rappaport, A. S. Konopliv, A. B. Kucinskas, and P. G. Ford, Icarus, 139, 19-31 (1999).
"Winter Clouds over the North Martian Polar Cap", G. H. Pettengill and P. G. Ford, Geophys. Res. Lett., 27, No. 5, p. 609-612, (March 1) 2000.
"Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA): Experiment Summary after the First Year of Global Mapping of Mars", David E. Smith, et al., J. Geophys., Res., 106, 23,689-23,722, 2001.
"Discovery of Soft X-ray Emission from Io, Europa, and the Io Plasma Torus" R. F. Elsner, G. R. Gladstone, J. H. Waite, F. J. Crary, R. R. Howell, R. E. Johnson, P. G. Ford, A. E. Metzger, K. C. Hurley, E. D. Feigelson, G. P. Garmire, A. Bhardwaj, D. C. Grodent, T. Majeed, A. F. Tennant, and M. C. Weisskopf, Astrophys. J., 572, 1077-1082, 2002.
"The X-ray Afterglows of GRB 020813 and GRB 021004 with Chandra HETGS: Possible Evidence for a Supernova Prior to GRB 020813", N. R. Butler, H. L. Marshall, G. R. Ricker, R. K. Vanderspek, P. G. Ford, G. B. Crew, D. Q. Lamb, and J. G. Jernigan, Astrophys. J., 597, 2, pp. 1010-1016, 2003.
"Simultaneous Chandra X ray, Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet, and Ulysses radio observations of Jupiter's aurora" R. F. Elsner, N. Lugaz, J. H. Waite, Jr., T. E. Cravens, G. R. Gladstone, P. Ford, D. Grodent, A. Bhardwaj, R. J. MacDowall, M. D. Desch and T. Majeed; J. Geophys. Res., 110, A1, A01207, Jan 14, 2005.
"High-Energy Observations of XRF 030723: Evidence for an Off-Axis Gamma-Ray Burst?" N. R. Butler, et al., Ap. J., 621, 2, pp. 884-893, 2005.
"Chandra Observation of an X-ray Flare at Saturn: Evidence for Direct Solar Control on Saturn's Disk X-ray Emissions" A. Bhardwaj, R. F. Elsner, J. H. Waite, Jr., G. R. Gladstone, T. E. Cravens, and P. G. Ford; Ap. J. Lett., 624, L121, 2005.
The GRB 011211 X-Ray Lines: Toward Resolving the Significance Debate, Butler, N.; Ricker, G.; Vanderspek, R.; Ford, P.; Crew, G.; Lamb, D. Q.; Jernigan, J. G., Ap. J., 627, 1, L9-L12, 2005.
"Discovery of Oxygen Ka X-ray Emission from the Rings of Saturn" A. Bhardwaj, R. F. Elsner, J. H. Waite, Jr., G. R. Gladstone, T. E. Cravens & P. G. Ford, Ap. J. Lett., 627, June, 2005.
"High-Resolution Grating Spectroscopy of Gamma-Ray Bursts 030328 and 041006 with Chandra LETGS", Butler, N. R.; Ricker, G. R.; Ford, P. G.; Vanderspek, R. K.; Marshall, H. L.; Jernigan, J. G.; Garmire, G. P.; Lamb, D. Q., Ap. J., 629, 2, 908-914, 2005.
"Low- to middle-latitude X-ray emission from Jupiter", A. Bhardwaj, R. F. Elsner, Jr., G. R. Gladstone, J. H. Waite, G. Branduardi-Raymont, T. E. Cravens, and P. G. Ford; J. Geophys. Res., 111, A11225, doi:10.1029/2006JA011792, 2006.
"Spectral Morphology of the X-ray Emission from Jupiter's Aurora"e, G. Branduardi-Raymont, R. F. Elsner, Jr., M. Galand, D. Grodent, T. E. Cravens, P. G. Ford, G. R. Gladstone, J. H. Waite, Jr.; J. Geophys. Res., 113, A02202, doi:10.1029/2007JA012600, 2008.
"CRaTER: The Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation Experiment on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission", H. E. Spence, A.Case, M. J. Golightly, T. Heine, B. A. Larsen, J. B. Blake, P. Caranza, W. R. Crain, J. George, M. Lalic, A. Lin, M. D. Looper, J. E. Mazur, D. Salvaggio, J. C. Kasper, T. J. Stubbs, M. Doucette, P. Ford, R. Foster, R. Goeke, D. Gordon, B. Klatt, J. O'Connor, M. Smith, T. Onsager, C. Zeitlin, L. Townsend and Y. Charara, Space Science Reviews, 150, 1-4, 243-284, 2010.
"Using ACIS on the Chandra X-ray Observatory as a particle radiation monitor II", C. E. Grant, P. G. Ford, M. W. Bautz & S. L. O'Dell; Proc. SPIE, 8443, 844311, doi:10.1117/12.925467, 2012
"Using the Chandra ACIS X-Ray Imager as a Background Particle Flux Detector", P. G. Ford & C. E. Grant, Proc. SPIE, 8443, 844347, doi:10.1117/12.925471, 2012
"Search for Saturn's X-ray aurorae at the arrival of a solar wind shock", G. Branduardi-Raymont, Ford, P. G., Hansen, K. C., Lamy, L., Masters, A., Cecconi, B., Coates, A. J., Dougherty, M. K., Gladstone, G. R. & Zarka, P., Geophys. Res. Let., 118, 10, pp.2145-2156, doi:10.1002/jgra.50112, 2013
"Estimates of fluvial erosion on Titan from sinuosity of lake shorelines", Y. Tewelde, Perron, J. T., Ford, P., Miller, S. & Black, B., J. Geophys. Res. Planets, 118 10, 2198-2212, doi:10.1002/jgre.20153, 2013
"Fifteen years of the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer", C. E. Grant, Bautz, M. W., Ford, P. G. & Plucinsky, P. P., Proc. SPIE, 9144, 91443Q, doi:10.1117/12.2055652, 2014
"The impact of an ICME on the Jovian X-ray aurora", W. R. Dunn, G. Branduardi-Raymont, R. F. Elsner, M. F. Vogt, L. Lamy, P. G. Ford, A. J. Coates, G. R. Gladstone, C. M. Jackman, J. D. Nichols, I. J. Rae, A. Varsani, T. Kimura, K. C. Hansen and J. M. Jasinski, J. Geophys. Res., 121, doi:10.1002/2015JA021888, 2016.
"The independent pulsations of Jupiter's northern and southern X-ray auroras" W. R. Dunn, G. Branduardi-Raymont, L. C. Ray, C. M. Jackman, R. P. Kraft, R. F. Elsner, I. J. Rae, Z. Yao, M. F. Vogt, G. H. Jones, G. R. Gladstone, G. S. Orton, J. A. Sinclair, P. G. Ford, G. A. Graham, R. Caro-Carretero and A. J. Coates, Nature Astro., 1, 758-764, doi:10.1038/s41550-017-0262-6, 2017.
"Assessing quasi-periodicities in Jovian X-ray emissions: techniques and heritage survey", C.M. Jackman, C. Knigge, D. Altamirano, R. Gladstone, W. Dunn, R. Elsner, R. Kraft, G. Branduardi-Raymont, P. Ford, J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys., 123, 11, 9204, doi:10.1029/2018JA025490, 2018.
"Jupiter's X-ray Emission During the 2007 Solar Minimum", W. R. Dunn, G. Branduardi-Raymont, V. Carter-Cortez, A. Campbell, R. Elsner, J-U. Ness, G. R. Gladstone, P. Ford, Z. Yao, P. Rodriguez, G. Clark, C. Paranicas, A. Foster, R. Gray, S. V. Badman, L. C. Ray, E. J. Bunce, B. Snios, C. M. Jackman, I. J. Rae, R. Kraft, S. Lathia, N. Achilleos, J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys., 125, 6, 2020.
"Comparisons Between Jupiter's X-ray, UV and Radio Emissions and In-Situ Solar Wind Measurements during 2007", W. Dunn, R. Gray, A. Wibisono, S. V. Badman, G. Branduardi-Raymont, R. Elsner, G. R. Gladstone, R. Ebert, L. Lamy, C. Louis, P. Ford, A. Foster, L. C. Ray, Z. Yao, I. J. Rae, E. J. Bunce1, P. Rodriguez, J-U. Ness, C. M. Jackman, R. Kraft, and Colleagues, J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys., 125,6, 2020.

: * Abstracts are available through NASA's Astrophysics Data System.

Phenomena associated with Martian polar cold spots, Poster, AGU, San Francisco, 2003.
Martian Daytime Clouds,* Paper presented at DPS Meeting, Monterey, 2003.
Martian polar weather,* Colloquium, Columbia University, 2003.
Destination Mars,* MIT IAP Lecture, January 2004.
High-Resolution Titan Altimetry, Cassini Project Workshop, Tucson, February 2010.
The Physics of Titan, Colloquium, Brandeis University, November 2010.

: * These links contain videos that are best viewed with Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

"Radar scattering properties of pancakelike domes on Venus", P. G. Ford and G. H. Pettengill, International Colloquium on Venus, p.34, LPI, December 1992.
"Anomalous scattering behavior of selected impact parabola features: Magellan cycle-to-cycle comparisons", J. J. Plaut et al., International Colloquium on Venus, p.92, LPI, December 1992.
"Dielectric surface properties of Venus", G. H. Pettengill, R. J. Wilt and P. G. Ford, International Colloquium on Venus, p.88, LPI, December 1992.
"Pancakelike domes on Venus", D. P. McKenzie, P. G. Ford, F. Liu and G. H. Pettengill, International Colloquium on Venus, p.70, LPI, December 1992.
"The depths of the largest impact craters on Venus", B. A. Ivanov and P. G. Ford, LPSC 24, p.689, 1993.
"Venus: More Thoughts on the Anomalous Surface Emissivity and Radar Backscattering Regions", G. H. Pettengill and P. G. Ford, AAS DPS 25, 20.03, and Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 25, p.1085, June 1993.
"The Magellan Quasi-Specular Bistatic Radar Experiment", R. A. Simpson, G. H. Pettengill and P. G. Ford, LPSC 25, p.1279, March 1994.
"Geology and Morphometry of Large Impact Craters of Venus", A. T. Basilevsky, B. A. Ivanov, P. G. Ford and C. M. Weitz, LPSC 25, p.67, March 1994.
"The Energetic Transient Array (ETA) Gamma-ray Burst Astrometry Mission", G. R. Ricker, et al., AAS 187, 71.19, December 1995.
"CO2 Ice Clouds in the Polar Hood as Seen by MOLA", G. H. Pettengill and P. G. Ford, 5th International Conference on Mars, July 1999.
"The Motion of CO2 Clouds over the Martian Winter Poles", P. G. Ford and G. H. Pettengill, AAS DPS 32, 54.01, October 2000.
"Chandra Observations of Io and the Io Plasma Torus", R. F. Elsner, G. R. Gladstone, J. H. Waite, Jr., D. C. Grodent, F. J. Crary, A. E. Metzger, K. C. Hurley, P. Ford, E. Feigelson, G. Garmire, T. Majeed, and M. C. Weisskopf; Two Years of Science with Chandra Symposium, D.C., September 2001.
"The Infrared Signature of Martian Polar Clouds", P. G. Ford and G. H. Pettengill, AAS DPS 33, 34.09, November 2001.
"Monitoring the Health and Safety of the ACIS Instrument On-Board the Chandra X-ray Observatory", S. N. Virani, P. G. Ford, J. DePasquale, and P. P. Plucinsky, Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 4844, pp. 464-475 (2002).
"Observations of the Jovian System with the Chandra X-ray Observatory", Elsner, R.F., Gladstone, G.R., Lewis, W.S., Waite, J.H., Crary, F.J., Grodent, D., Howell, R.R., Johnson, R.E., Bhardwaj, A., Ford, P.G., Dougherty, M.K., Espinosa, S.A., Cravens, T.E., Tennant, A.F., Weisskopf, M.C., APS, APR02, abstract #B17.078 (2002).
"Chandra X-ray Observations of the Jovian System", Elsner, R.F., Waite, J.H., Crary, F., Majeed, T., Gladstone, G.R., Lewis, W.S., Ford, P.G., Howell, R.R., Johnson, R.E., Bhardwaj, A., Tennant, A.F., Grodent, D., Dougherty, M.K.K., Espinosa, S.A., Cravens, T.E., AAS, DPS Meeting #34, #36.05 (2002).
"Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS) Instrument on the Chandra X-ray Observatory", G. P. Garmire, M. W. Bautz, P. G. Ford, J. A. Nousek, and G. R. Ricker, Jr., Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 4851, pp. 28-44 (2003).
"High Resolution Grating Spectroscopy of HETE-Localized GRBs with the Chandra X-ray Observatory", N. R. Butler, R. K. Vanderspek, P. G. Ford, H. L. Marshall, G. R. Ricker, and D. Q. Lamb, AAS 201, 69.05, January 2003.
"Chandra Observations of the Optically Dark GRB030528", N. Butler, A. Dullighan, P. Ford, G. Ricker, R. Vanderspek, K. Hurley, J. Jernigan, D. Lamb, Santa Fe GRB Conference Proceedings, 2003
"Optical and X-ray Observations of the Afterglow to XRF030723", N. Butler, A. Dullighan, P. Ford, G. Ricker, R. Vanderspek, K. Hurley, J. Jernigan, D. Lamb, C. Graziani, Santa Fe GRB Conference Proceedings, 2003
"Preliminary Results from Recent Simultaneous Chandra/HST Observations of Jupiter Auroral Zones", Elsner, R., Gladstone, R., Waite, H., Jr., Majeed, T., Ford, P., Grodent, D., Bhardwaj, A., Howell, R., Cravens, T., MacDowall, R., Desch, M., and Lugaz, N., AAS Meeting 202, #33.03 (2003).
Preliminary Results from Recent Simultaneous Chandra/HST Observations of Jupiter Auroral Zones, R. Elsner, R. Gladstone, H. Waite, Jr., N. Lugaz, T. Majeed, P. Ford, R. Howell, T. Cravens, D. Grodent, and A. Bhardwaj, AAS DPS 35, May 2003.
Martian daytime clouds observed by MOLA, TES, and MOC, P. G. Ford and G. H. Pettengill, AAS DPS 35, May 2003.
Interpreting the Results from Recent Simultaneous Chandra/HST Observations of the Jovian Aurora, J. H. Waite, R. Elsner, N. Lugaz, G. R. Gladstone, P. Ford, and R. Howell, AAS DPS 35, May 2003.
Change of Martian surface height associated with polar cold spots, P. G. Ford and G. H. Pettengill, AGU, December, 2003.
Chandra X-ray Observations of Jovian Low-latitude Emissions: Morphological, Temporal, and Spectral Characteristics, A. Bhardwaj et al., DPS, November, 2004.
Auroral and Non-auroral X-ray Emissions from Jupiter: A Comparative View , A. Bhardwaj et al., AGU, December, 2004.
New Results from the Magellan Bistatic Radar Experiment, M. A. Kreslavsky, P. G. Ford, G. H. Pettengill, and J. W. Head, III, LPSC, March 2005.
X-rays from Saturn and its Rings, A. Bhardwaj, R. F. Elsner, J. H. Waite, Jr., G. R. Gladstone, T. E. Cravens, and P. G. Ford, AGU, May, 2005.
X-ray Spectroscopy of Optically Bright Planets with the Chandra Observatory, P. G. Ford and R. F. Elsner, AGU, May, 2005.
"Chandra X-ray Observatory Observations of the Jovian System", R. F. Elsner, A. Bhardwaj, R. Gladstone, J. H. Waite, T. Cravens, P. Ford, G. Branduardi-Raymont, G. Ramsay, B. D. Ramsey, DPS, September, 2005.
"Chandra X-ray Observations of Jupiter's Low-latitude Disk Emission", A. Bhardwaj, R. F. Elsner, R. Gladstone, J. H. Waite, G. Branduardi-Raymont and P. Ford, AOGS, July, 2006.
"Observations of the Jovian X-ray Emission by Chandra and XMM Newton", J. Chaufray, R. Gladstone, G. Branduardi-Raymont, R. Elsner and P. Ford, Eos Trans. AGU, 89(53), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract SM41B-1667, 2008.
"High-Resolution Radar Altimetry of Titan", P. G. Ford, American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #36.06, 2009.
"Kilometer-Scale Titan Topography", P. G. Ford, EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting, p.1313, 2011.
"Estimates of Fluvial Erosion on Titan from Sinuosity of Lake Shorelines", Y. Tewelde, Perron, J., Ford, P. G., Black, B. A. & Miller, S. R., AGU Fall Meeting, P32F-07, 2012
"Using ACIS on the Chandra X-ray Observatory as a Particle Radiation Monitor", C. E. Grant, Ford, P. G., Bautz, M. W. &. O'Dell, S. L., AAS HEAD Meeting 13, #123.19, 2013.
"Ninety Degrees South! Geology of the South Pole of Venus", D. A. Senske & P. G. Ford; AGU Fall Meeting, P41D-1959, 2013.
"The South Pole of Venus: Geology at 90 Degrees South", D. A. Senske & P. G. Ford; 46th Lunar & Planetary Conference, #1832, p.1432, 2015.
"Jovian Auroral X-ray Emission Coinciding with an Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection" Dunn, W. et al., AGU, Fall Meeting, 2015.
"Jupiter's X-ray Aurora During the Juno Approach " Dunn, W. et al., EGU, Vienna, April 2017.
"Jupiter's X-ray Auroral Pulsations and Spectra During Juno Perijove 7" Dunn, W., et al., Abstract P31C-2839, AGU Fall Meeting, 2017.
"Improved retrieval of Titan surface topography from the delay-Doppler algorithm applied to Cassini RADAR altimeter data", Pogggiali, V., et al.; 42nd COSPAR, B5.3-20-18, Pasadena, July 2018.

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Last modified: Tue Mar 23 17:25:10 EST 2010