Julie Ziffer
Papers
1
Total Citations
133
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About
Julie Ziffer is a planetary scientist whose research focuses on the thermal properties and surface characteristics of near-Earth asteroids. Her most influential work centers on the thermophysical characterization of asteroid (101955) Bennu, the target of NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. In her highly cited 2014 study, Ziffer and her team used thermal infrared observations to constrain Bennu’s surface roughness, thermal inertia, and regolith properties—critical parameters for mission planning and sample site selection. This work, with over 130 citations, provided foundational data that helped shape the mission’s approach and landing strategy. Ziffer’s contributions extend to understanding how small bodies evolve under solar heating, linking remote sensing data to physical models of asteroid surfaces. Her research has been instrumental in bridging ground-based telescopic observations with spacecraft exploration, offering insights into the thermal behavior of primitive solar system objects. Through her detailed analysis of Bennu, Ziffer has helped advance our knowledge of asteroid composition and surface dynamics, supporting one of the most ambitious sample-return missions in planetary science.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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