Caltech Postdoc Launch Seminar

Lunch will be served at 11:45 AM

Dr. Sachin Reddy

The Promise of Machine Learning for Ocean World Characterization

Jupiter's moon Europa is thought to possess a sub-surface ocean which could have the right conditions to harbor life. It will be visited by the Europa Clipper mission starting in 2030. To characterize the ocean, and answer questions about habitability, the complex and highly variable plasma environment must be accounted for. In this talk, I will introduce a novel machine learning framework, including both forward and inverse modeling, to better understand the environment. Crucially, our model can reproduce the magnetic field, helping us to define the depth, salinity, and conductivity of a would-be sub-surface ocean. These findings benefit both the upcoming missions to Europa, as well as proposed missions to other planetary bodies such as those at Uranus or Neptune.