Christopher Mankovich

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, CA 91109

Curriculum Vitae:

Click here

Member of:

Planetary And Exoplanetary Atmospheres

Biography

Dr. Christopher Mankovich is NASA Postdoc and a planetary scientist working on planetary structure, especially fluid planets and the ways their structure and evolution are fundamentally altered by rotation and composition gradients. His research applies theory and computation to study at these problems through the lens of normal mode seismology, using the global vibrations of a body to discern its hidden internal structure. Chris and his collaborators are working to develop these methods into new modes of uncovering the mysterious inner workings of the planets in our outer solar system.

Education

PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz (2019)

Masters in Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz (2015)

BS in Physics (Mathematics minor), University of California Santa Barbara (2012)

Research Interests

Interpreting Saturn's normal mode spectrum from ring resonances observed in stellar occultations

Helium rain, diffuse core structure, and stable stratification in fluid planetary interiors

The imprint of differential flows on fluid planets' shapes, gravity fields, and normal mode spectra

Planets' dynamical response to tidal forcing

Selected Awards

Juno Mission Science Team Award, 2020 NASA Honors Awards

NASA Earth and Space Sciences Fellow 2015-2018

Whitford Prize, UC Santa Cruz Astronomy and Astrophysics 2015

Selected Publications

Mankovich, C. R., Dewberry, J. W., and Fuller, J. 2023. Saturn's Seismic Rotation Revisited. PSJ 4, 59

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023PSJ.....4...59M

Dewberry, J. W., Mankovich, C. R., and Fuller, J. 2022. Impacts of zonal winds on planetary oscillations and Saturn ring seismology. MNRAS 516, 1

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022MNRAS.516..358D

Militzer, B., Hubbard, W. B., Wahl, S. et al. 2022. Juno Spacecraft Measurements of Jupiter's Gravity Imply a Dilute Core. PSJ 3, 8

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022PSJ.....3..185M

A'Hearn, J. A., Hedman, M. M., Mankovich, C. R., Aramona, H., and Marley, M. S. 2022. Ring Seismology of the Ice Giants Uranus and Neptune. PSJ 3, 8

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022PSJ.....3..194A

Durante, D., Guillot, T., Iess, L. et al. 2022. Juno spacecraft gravity measurements provide evidence for normal modes of Jupiter. Nat. Comms. 13, 4632

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022NatCo..13.4632D

Nettelmann, N., Movshovitz, N., Ni, D., Fortney, J. J. et al. 2021. Theory of Figures to the Seventh Order and the Interiors of Jupiter and Saturn. PSJ 2, 6

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021PSJ.....2..241N

Dewberry, J. W., Mankovich, C. R., Fuller, J., Lai, D. and Xu, Wenrui 2021. Constraining Saturn's Interior with Ring Seismology: Effects of Differential Rotation and Stable Stratification. PSJ 2, 5

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021PSJ.....2..198D

Mankovich, C. R. and Fuller, J. 2021. A diffuse core in Saturn revealed by ring seismology. Nat. Astron. 5, 1103-1109

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021NatAs...5.1103M

Mankovich, C. R. 2020. Saturn's Rings as a Seismograph to Probe Saturn's Internal Structure. AGU Adv. 1, 2

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020AGUA....100142M

Movshovitz, N., Fortney, J. J., Mankovich, C., Thorngren, D., and Helled, Ravit 2020. Saturn's Probable Interior: An Exploration of Saturn's Potential Interior Density Structures. ApJ 891, 2

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020ApJ...891..109M

Mankovich, C. R. and Fortney, Jonathan J. 2020. Evidence for a Dichotomy in the Interior Structures of Jupiter and Saturn from Helium Phase Separation. ApJ 889, 1

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020ApJ...889...51M

Mankovich, C., Marley, M. S., Fortney, J. J., and Movshovitz, N. 2019. Cassini Ring Seismology as a Probe of Saturn's Interior I: Rigid Rotation. ApJ 879, 1

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019ApJ...871....1M

Moll, R., Garaud, P., Mankovich, C., and Fortney, J. J. 2017. Double-diffusive Erosion of the Core of Jupiter. ApJ 849, 24

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017ApJ...849...24M

Mankovich, C., Fortney, J. J., and Moore, K. L. 2016. Bayesian Evolution Models for Jupiter with Helium Rain and Double-diffusive Convection. ApJ 832, 113

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2016ApJ...832..113M

Garaud, P., Medrano, M., Brown, J. M., Mankovich, C., and Moore, K. 2015. Excitation of Gravity Waves by Fingering Convection, and the Formation of Compositional Staircases in Stellar Interiors. ApJ 808, 89

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015ApJ...808...89G

Nettelmann, N., Fortney, J. J., Moore, K., and Mankovich, C. 2015. An exploration of double diffusive convection in Jupiter as a result of hydrogen-helium phase separation. MNRAS 447, 3422

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015MNRAS.447.3422N

Cantiello, M., Mankovich, C., Bildsten, L., Christensen-Dalsgaard, J., and Paxton, B. 2014. Angular Momentum Transport within Evolved Low-mass Stars. ApJ, 788, 93

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2014ApJ...788...93C

Paxton, B., Cantiello, M., Arras, P., et al. 2013. Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA): Planets, Oscillations, Rotation, and Massive Stars. ApJs, 208, 4

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013ApJS..208....4P