Hi, my name is Will Vaughan. I'm a graduate student in planetary geology at Brown. I got my B.S. in geology from the University of Chicago in 2011. You can contact me at Will_Vaughan@brown.edu.Hi, my name is Will Vaughan. I'm a graduate student in planetary geology at Brown. I got my B.S. in geology from the University of Chicago in 2011. You can contact me at Will_Vaughan@brown.edu.
My research interest is the geochemistry of the Moon and the terrestrial planets. There aren't too many extraterrestrial rocks available to analyze: the lunar sample suite is incomplete, and samples from other terrestrial planets are either limited to a few meteorites (Mars) or nonexistent (Mercury, Venus). I'm forced to infer planetary geochemistry remotely: surface chemistry can be measured directly from remotely sensed data, as well as constrained by remote geological observations—for example, geological evidence for liquid water on Mars constrains the oxidation state of the Martian surface. Surface chemistry in turn constrains mantle chemistry; I'm interested in thermodynamic and geochemical modeling of deep chemical reservoirs. Right now I'm thinking about impact melt differentiation on the Moon and Mercury.
Here are some of my research-related webpages:
James B. Thompson's Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibria class notes (pdf). I was recommended these notes (taken by current Caltech provost Ed Stolper) as a thermodynamics-for-geology primer by Caltech professor (and extremely smart guy) Paul Asimow. The chapter about composition space is particularly interesting. I think I understand the order of points on a composition line as a consequence of the projective geometry of composition space.Here are my publications as of September 2011:
Oxidation and fractional crystallization in olivine from chondrule-composition melts. In my senior thesis I measure and model the fayalite content of olivine grains crystallized from chondrule-composition melts to determine how oxidation of iron metal and fractional crystallization contribute to fayalite content in olivine.
Chondrule-composition melts: response of Fe and Ti valence to changing redox conditions. This LPSC 2011 abstract uses some of the analyses from my senior thesis to address the problem of conflicting oxygen fugacities inferred from Ti and Fe oxybarometers in chondrule olivine.
Provenance of impact melt and granulite clasts in lunar meteorite PCA 02007. This LPSC 2011 abstract is based on my work as a summer intern at the Lunar and Planetary Institute. I report the compositions of impact melt and granulite clasts in a regolith breccia and constrain the impact setting and lunar provenance of this meteorite.
My personal interests include math, particularly geometry and abstract algebra; mathematical instruments, like slide rules, planimeters, and nomograms; and astronomical instruments, especially sundials and astrolabes. I'm a licensed ham radio operator, Extra class, with callsign AB9TN. The "TN" is short for "telescope nut": I'm interested in historic visual observations of the terrestrial planets and the geography of Mercury and the Moon. My hobbies include knot tying, bicycling, and hiking. Visit my personal website for more information.
Since my fellow graduate students have inspirational quotes on their personal webpages, here's one of my favorites, from Samuel Johnson: "The speculatist, who is not content with superficial views, harasses himself with fruitless curiosity, and still, as he inquires more, perceives only that he knows less." Another (on teaching), from desert mother Syncletica: "A man whose house is about to fall down may invite travellers inside to refresh them, but instead they will be hurt in the collapse of the house."
