Kevin Peter Hand
Address:
4800 Oak Grove Drive
M/S 183-601
Pasadena, CA 91109
Phone:
626.487.5379
Curriculum Vitae:
Click here
Member of:
Science Division
Deputy Project Scientist, Europa
Education
- B.A. Physics, B.A. Psychology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire (1998)
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (2002)
- Ph.D., Geological & Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA (2007)
Professional Experience
- PI/Director, JPL Ocean Worlds Lab, https://oceanworldslab.jpl.nasa.gov/
- Pre-Project Scientist, Europa Lander Mission concept (Pre-Phase A), (2016-Present)
- Co-Chair, NASA Europa Lander Science Definition Team (2016)
- Deputy Chief Scientist, Solar System Exploration Directorate (2011-2016)
- Scientist, Planetary Ices Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Inst. Tech. (2007-2011)
- Europa Flagship Mission Science Definition Team (2008-2010)
- Visiting Research Fellow, Dept. of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (2006-2007)
- Geobiology Summer School, University of Southern California/Agoroun Institute, Catalina Island, CA (June-July 2003)
- Research Assistant to C.F. Chyba SETI Institute (2000)
- Research Assistant, Center for Mars Exploration, NASA Ames Res. Ctr. (1998-1999)
Research Interests
- Icy moons and ocean worlds of the outer solar system
- Electromagentic field interactions at icy worlds
- Radiolytic chemistry in planetary and astrophysical environments
- Spectroscopic biogsignatures
- Understanding the connection between terrestrial cryosphere processes the climate change record
Selected Awards
- JPL Explorer Award, for significant contributions to, and advancing, astrobiology and ocean worlds (2016)
- NASA Honor Award, Icy Worlds Team, Group Achievement Award (2015)
- NASA Honor Award, MSL Prime Mission Science and Operations Team, Wheel Wear Tiger Team, Group Achievement Award (2015)
- NASA Honors Award, Buoyant Rover for Under Ice Exploration Team, Group Achievement Award (2014)
- National Geographic Society Emerging Explorer Award (2011)
- Lew Allen Award for Excellence (2012)
- Kayli Frontier of Science Fellow (2007, 2011)
Selected Publications
- Hand, K.P., Bartlett, D. H., Fryer, P., Peoples, L., Williford, K., Hofmann, A. E., & Cameron, J. (2020). Discovery of novel structures at 10.7 km depth in the Mariana Trench may reveal chemolithoautotrophic microbial communities. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 103238.
- Hand, K.P., Berisford, D., Daimaru, T., Foster, J., Hofmann, A. E., & Furst, B. (2020). Penitente formation is unlikely on Europa. Nature Geoscience, 13(1), 17-19.
- Nordheim, T. A., Jasinski, J. M., & Hand, K. P. (2019). Galactic Cosmic-Ray Bombardment of Europa's Surface. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 881(2), L29.
- Trumbo, S. K., Brown, M. E., & Hand, K. P. (2019). H2O2 within Chaos Terrain on Europa's Leading Hemisphere. The Astronomical Journal, 158(3), 127.
- Trumbo, S. K., Brown, M.E. & Hand K.P. (2019) Sodium chloride on the surface of Europa. Science Advances. 5(6), eaaw7123.
- Santibáñez, P. A., Michaud, A. B., Vick‐Majors, T. J., D'Andrilli, J., Chiuchiolo, A., Hand, K. P., & Priscu, J. C. (2019). Differential Incorporation of Bacteria, Organic Matter, and Inorganic Ions into Lake Ice during Ice Formation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences.
- Ward, L. M., Stamenković, V., Hand K.P., & Fischer, W. W. (2019) Follow the Oxygen: Comparative Histories of Planetary Oxygenation and Opportunities for Aerobic Life. Astrobiology 1531-1074.
- Young, C. L., Poston, M. J., Wray, J. J., Hand, K. P., & Carlson, R. W. (2018). The mid-IR spectral effects of darkening agents and porosity on the silicate surface features of airless bodies. Icarus. 321:71-81.
- Nordheim, T. A., Hand, K. P., & Paranicas, C. (2018). Preservation of potential biosignatures in the shallow subsurface of Europa. Nature Astronomy, 2(8), 673.
- Carnevali, P. B. M., Herbold, C. W., Hand, K.P., Priscu, J. C., & Murray, A. E. (2018). Distinct Microbial Assemblage Structure And Archaeal Diversity In Sediments Of Arctic Thermokarst Lakes Differing In Methane Sources. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9.
- Hand, K. P., German, C. R. (2018) Exploring ocean worlds on Earth and beyond. Nature Geoscience. Vol. 11:1.
- Poston MJ , Mahjoub A, Ehlmann BL, Blacksberg J, Brown ME, Carlson RW , Eiler JM, Hand KP, Hodyss R, & Wong I. (2018) Visible near-infrared spectral evolution of irradiated mixed ices and application to Kuiper Belt Objects and Jupiter Trojans. The Astrophysical Journal. 856:124.
- Poston, M. J., Carlson, R. W., Hand, K.P. (2017)Spectral Behavior of Irradiated Sodium Chloride Crystals Under Europa-Like Conditions. Journal of Geophysical Res. - Planets. Vol. 122:12, 2644-2654.
- Russell, M. J., Murray, A. E., Hand, K. P. (2017) The Possible Emergence of Life and Differentiation of a Shallow Biosphere on Irradiated Icy Worlds: The Example of Europa. Astrobiology. Vol. 17:12, 1265-1273.
- Mahjoub, A., Poston, M.J., Blacksberg, J., Eiler, J.M., Brown, M.E., Ehlmann, B.L., Hodyss, R., Hand, K.P., Carlson, R. and Choukroun, M. (2017). Production of Sulfur Allotropes in Electron Irradiated Jupiter Trojans Ice Analogs. Astrophysical Journal, 846(2).
- Trumbo, S. K., Brown, M. E., Fischer, P. D., & Hand, K. P. (2017). A New Spectral Feature on the Trailing Hemisphere of Europa at 3.78 μm. The Astronomical Journal, 153(6), 250.
- Nordheim, T. A., Hand, K. P., Paranicas, C., Howett, C. J. A., Hendrix, A. R., Jones, G. H., & Coates, A. J. (2017). The near-surface electron radiation environment of Saturn's moon Mimas. Icarus.
- Sparks, W. B., Schmidt, B. E., McGrath, M. A., Hand, K. P., Spencer, J. R., Cracraft, M., & Deustua, S. E. (2017). Active Cryovolcanism on Europa?. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 839(2), L18.
- Fischer, P. D., Brown, M. E., Trumbo, S. K., & Hand, K. P. (2016). Spatially resolved spectroscopy of Europa's large-scale compositional units at 3-4 µm with Keck NIRSPEC. The Astronomical Journal, 153(1), 13.
- Chyba, C. F., & Hand, K. P. (2016). Electric Power Generation from Earth's Rotation through its Own Magnetic Field. Physical Review Applied, 6(1), 014017.
- Vance, S. D., Hand, K. P., & Pappalardo, R. T. (2016). Geophysical controls of chemical disequilibria in Europa. Geophysical Research Letters, 43(10), 4871-4879.
- Sparks, W. B., Hand, K. P., McGrath, M. A., Bergeron, E., Cracraft, M., & Deustua, S. E. (2016). Probing for evidence of plumes on europa with HST/STIS. The Astrophysical Journal, 829(2), 121.
- Mahjoub, A., Poston, M. J., Hand, K. P., Brown, M. E., Hodyss, R., Blacksberg, J., Eiler, J. M., Carlson, R. W., Ehlmann, B. L., Choukroun, M. (2016). Electron Irradiation and Thermal Processing of Mixed-ices of Potential Relevance to Jupiter Trojan Asteroids. The Astrophysical Journal, 820(2), 141.