Romy D Hanna

My research focuses on primitive, undifferentiated material found in carbonaceous chondrites and on small bodies (asteroids), that represents the earliest formed material in the Solar System. My aim is to advance our understanding of the formation and evolution (deformation, aqueous alteration, and thermal metamorphism) of this primitive chondritic material and how it can be remotely characterized on small bodies.

I use a wide variety of analytical and remote sensing techniques such as electron microbeam [including electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)], X-ray computed tomography (XCT) and visible to near infrared (VISNIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) spectroscopy. I am a Participating Scientist on the OSIRIS-REx mission to carbonaceous asteroid Bennu where I use the VISNIR and TIR spectral instruments to assess the geologic history of Bennu.

In the High-Resolution X-ray Computed Tomography Facility (UTCT) at the Jackson School, I am the PI of the NASA Planetary Science Enabling Facilities (PSEF) award to UTCT to enable and support NASA planetary scientists who use our facility. I also develop software related to the correction and processing of XCT data from the two XCT instruments in our lab. Finally, I am working to take XCT into space through collaboration on instrument development and landed missions.