Samuel

Courville

I am captivated by the history of our solar system and how it intertwines with life as we know it. Broadly, I study three questions: Are there environments suitable for life in the outer solar system? What’s beneath the surface of planets and moons? What geophysical instruments do we need to further space exploration? At Carnegie, I study how the deep interiors of outer solar system moons and dwarf planets could be factories of organic molecule transformation and synthethis. I use geochemical modeling coupled with laboratory experiments to predict the abiotic inventory of macromolecular organic matter in these worlds' interiors. In general, I strive for a balance of data analysis, numerical modeling, instrument concept development, and field analog studies.