Dr. Michael Reed, materials science professor at Missouri State University, and Dr. David Cornelison, physics, astronomy and materials science department head, received a $736,882 grant from NASA (NNX13AE52A) for their project “Understanding the Atmospheres of Hot Earths and the Impact on Solar System Formation.” The funding is provided through the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

The project will attempt to determine what the atmosphere of hot Earth-type planets are made of and where those planets came from by examining the different atmospheres.

“The only way to know is to look,” said Reed. “Whatever atmospheres these planets currently have, it could only be made from material which formed the planet. And so by examining the atmospheres they have now, we can examine where they came from.”

Grant money for the project will fund research, student aid and the building of a new lab at Missouri State. This is the first year Missouri has been eligible for this type of federal money from EPSCoR.

“[The lab will be] one that can analyze materials under extremely high temperatures,” said Reed. “So a lot of money is going into brand new equipment, which will be extremely useful in the longer term for work at MSU…To me, this is a statement that MSU has set out to be a leading institution, rather than one which merely educates in the classroom. I think this benefits the students and, in the long term, both MSU and Missouri as a whole.”

For more information, contact Reed at (417) 836-4782.