Although Mars received intense scrutiny from spacecraft during the 1970s,
many significant questions remained unanswered. The questions of primary interest
to us concern the seasonal cycles of carbon dioxide, water, and dust on
the planet, especially the degree of interannual variability in these cycles.
Phenomena which are currently studied include dust storms, the polar caps
and hoods, and condensate clouds.
Our current studies are based on visual and infrared observations by Mars orbiting spacecraft and on images and spectra acquired by Hubble Space Telescope. Dr. James is a member of the Science Team for the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) on the Mars Global Surveyor Spacecraft. He is a member of the MARCI/CTX team that is preparing wide angle and high resolution cameras for the Mars Reconnaissance Mission, to be launched in 2005. He has directed a project that is investigating images and ultraviolet spectra of Mars obtained by Hubble Space Telescope since 1990. His observational work is complemented by an active program of computer modeling to aid in interpretation of the data.
1. Benson, J., Bonev, B., James, P.B., Shan, K., Cantor, B.A., and Caplinger, M.A. A Study of Seasonal & Short Period Variation of Water Ice Clouds in the Tharsis and Valles Marineris Regions of Mars with Mars Global Surveyor Icarus 165, 34-52 (2003).
2. James, P.B., G. Hansen, and T. Titus, The CO2 Cycle, Advances in Space Research (in press).
3. Benson, J.L. and P.B. James. Yearly Comparisons of the Martian Polar Caps: 1999-2003 Mars Orbiter Camera Observations. Icarus (in press).
4. James, P.B., B.P. Bonev, and M.J. Wolff. Visible Albedo of Mars’ South Polar Cap: 2003 HST Observations. Icarus (in press).