Prof. Benjamin P Weiss

Professor Weiss studies the formation, evolution, and history of planets and small bodies, with a
particular focus on paleomagnetism and geomagnetism and habitability. He conducts laboratory analyses of planetary samples and in situ spacecraft exploration of solar system bodies to understand
the history of planetary physical and chemical processes.

Key Research Discoveries: (a) Demonstrated that the Moon generated a long-lived core dynamo; (b) demonstrated the existence of a nebular magnetic field like that predicted to have played a central role in planet formation; (c) discovered that some asteroids generated core dynamos; (d) developed magnetic microscopy as a new tool for paleomagnetism; (e) provided evidence for the existence of the ancient Martian dynamo; (f) found that some meteorites were not heat-sterilized during their transfer from Mars to Earth; (g) found the oldest rock records of the Earth’s magnetic field in rocks from Isua, Greenland.