[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 1 - 14:00:13 ]
We'll begin in a few minutes as soon as we see Rosaly on-line. Stay tuned... If you came a few minutes early, you an check out our contest for today. The winner receives some cool NASA prizes and a cameo spot on our web pages. The contest is at: http://quest.nasa.gov/women/TODTWD00/contest.html

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 4 - 14:08:06 ]
RE: [RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL] Hi, I'm here.
Hello Rosaly - We're all glad you could join us. We've got some anxious folks out there so we'll begin the questions.

[ KimberlyWHS - 5 - 14:08:31 ]
What are terrestial volcanoes?

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 9 - 14:09:58 ]
Sorry for the delay, I'm getting used to this - this is only my second time in a chat-room! Kimberly, terrestrial volcanoes are just volcanoes on Earth. Mount Etna, Kilauea, etc.

[ Amandaage10 - 6 - 14:08:32 ]
Hi Rosaly - This is exciting talking to you. Why did you want to study Astronomy?

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 10 - 14:11:14 ]
I wanted to study astronomy since I was about 5 years old! I think it was because of the race to the moon. I wanted to be an astronaut too, but then I thought that, being from Brazil and a girl, my chances were not too great.

[ Sarah/YMCA - 7 - 14:08:32 ]
How did they find our there were volcanoes on Mars?

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 13 - 14:12:45 ]
The volcanoes on Mars were first seen by the Mariner 9 mission, that was in the early 70s (cannot remember the year). No, the book I am writing is for grown-ups. It is about visiting volcanoes (on Earth!).

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 14 - 14:14:05 ]
RE: [Lauren] Are most volcanoes in space?
There are about 600 active volcanoes on Earth, and we don't know how many yet on other planets. We have found about 100 on Jupiter's moon Io

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 15 - 14:16:32 ]
RE: [Christa] What made you persue where you are now in your career
I love the work I do. I am the kind of person who is always trying to do more, and do better. I was very lucky to be able to come to JPL and join the Galileo mission. I came here from England as a post-doctoral fellow (that is what you do after you get your Ph.D., get a temporary post-doc). I met people working on Galileo and they had a position available that suited me well.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 24 - 14:21:02 ]
RE: [Sarah/YMCA] How do they find places where there are volcanoes that are simialr to other planets?
We find volcanoes on other planets by sending spacecraft there and taking images with cameras or other instruments. For example, I work with the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) on Galileo. We are able to detect heat from the volcanoes on Io and have found many new volcanoes this way. We can also detect Io's volcanoes (the brightest ones) from Earth using infrared cameras on telescopes. We can also use the Hubble Space Telescope.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 26 - 14:24:01 ]
RE: [Claire/WHS] Where did you get your research on comparing Mars and Earth volcanoes when you did your thesis?
My research on Mars and Earth volcanoes used images frm the Viking mission (for Mars)and a variety of measurements of volcanoes on Earth. I was mostly trying to find out how the lavas flowed on Mars. I did field work on Mount Etna in Sicily, an active volcano. I correlated things that we know for earth but not for Mars (e.g. duration of eruption) with things that we know for both Earth and Mars, because we can measure from images (such as length of flows).

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 29 - 14:26:33 ]
RE: [SynopsysKidsGroup] What's the significance of studying volcanos in space?
The importance of studying volcanoes on other planets is that we can better understand how volcanoes on earth work. For example, the study I did for the lavas on mars involved making physical models of how lavas on earth flow. We can also use other planets as "laboratories". For example, if we only ever looked at volcanoes on Earth, we would not know how gravity can affect flows.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 32 - 14:28:08 ]
RE: [Craigsdaughter] Do you ever miss Brazil>
Yes, sometimes I miss Brazil, and England too. I try to go back to Brazil about once every 2 years, and about once every 3 years to England. I keep in touch with family and friends by phone and email.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 35 - 14:29:31 ]
RE: [Maya/collegestudent] Hello Rosaly. When you were studying astronomy in the 70's, were there many women among your peers?
There were 31 students in my undergraduate astronomy class, 4 of us were women. It is interesting that only 4 of those students now have astronomy as their careers, 3 out of the 4 are women!

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 37 - 14:30:29 ]
RE: [Maran] Do you study just volcanoes on Mars? Or do you study others planets.
I now study volcanoes on Io, because I have been involved with the Galileo mission that is in orbit around Jupiter

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 38 - 14:32:04 ]
RE: [Maya] What did being named the "1997 Woman of the Year in Science and Technology" mean to you? (nice job)
It was a great honor. I had a really fun time going to Miami and meeting Latinas in many fields, such as music and art. I was then in the selection committee for the following year, and got to go back and see a colleague (scientist) get the prize. It was a lot of fun.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 39 - 14:33:00 ]
RE: [Sal] How did they get the NIMS into space? Was this an unmanned mission. Is this the Galileo mission? Can you tell us more about it?
NIMS is aboard the Galileo spacecraft. Galileo was launched into space by the Space Shuttle.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 40 - 14:33:35 ]
RE: [Sal] How did they get the NIMS into space? Was this an unmanned mission. Is this the Galileo mission? Can you tell us more about it?
Galileo is an unmanned mission. We don't know how to send humans to Jupiter yet!

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 48 - 14:34:52 ]
RE: [JenniandKatie] Do you find it fascinating to find valcanos on different planets?
Yes, finding volcanoes on Io that we didn't know about is always a thrill!

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 50 - 14:36:13 ]
RE: [SynopsysKidsGroup] Are there any singnificant differences between the valcanos on earth, and on Jupiter's moons?
Yes, many differences. For example, volcanoes on Io erupt lavas that are hotter than any lavas we see on earth today. However, they are similar to lavas that erupted on Earth long ago, in pre-historic times.

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 51 - 14:36:36 ]
RE: [Maya] Tish, will this session be saved so I can review the dialogue at a later date?
Maya- Yes, we are archiving all of today's events. They will be linked from the schedule, the Women of NASA archive page, and the mentors' profiles.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 52 - 14:37:08 ]
RE: [Maran] What do you love best about your job?
What I love best is the feeling of exploring space. I consider myself an explorer and I love going to new places and finding new things - for example, new volcanoes on Io!

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 54 - 14:38:28 ]
RE: [Jessica] Do you believe in other beings in our universe?
I don't know if there are other beings out there or not. NASA has many projects to look for life, from primitive life to intelligent life. SO far we have not found anything, but the universe is a big place.

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 55 - 14:38:44 ]
RE: [lauramegan] thanks for your warm welcome. Will you answer our question about how many times you have been in space?
Laura and Megan- please read Rosaly's profile so you can ask appropriate questions.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 56 - 14:39:22 ]
RE: [Haley] Do any of the volcanoes on Io have a name?
Yes, volcanoes on Io are named after gods and goddesses of fire and thunder and sun. I named two of them, Tupan and Monan, after gods from native Brazilian mythology.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 64 - 14:41:04 ]
RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] Is Io's surface stable enough to land a spacecraft on? Or is it chaotic most of the time?
We could land a spacecraft on Io (I think) but the problem is the radiation. Io has high radiation all around it and the radiation is pretty bad for the spacecraft and istruments. We are lucky that galileo has survived so far.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 65 - 14:43:00 ]
RE: [Randon] How often do you find a new volcano?
I have found about 30 new volcanoes on Io - I used to keep count, but after about 20 I started not to. This has been since mid-1996. Typically we have new Io observations every few months, so there are days when I find several, then months when I don't have any new data to look at.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 66 - 14:44:53 ]
RE: [Maran] What was your best discovery?
That is a hard one to answer. I got most excited after finding the first 2-3 of the 30 or so new volcanoes on Io. However, that is not in itself my best work. I consider the work I did on physical models of lava flows to be my best, but of course it was not as exciting.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 71 - 14:45:39 ]
RE: [JenniandKatie] How long ago did you find that you were in interested in planets?
I was (I think) about 5 years old when I became fascinated by space and other planets

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 72 - 14:46:16 ]
RE: [DenaePaul] What would be your choice if you could visit any planet you wanted to. If there wasn't a temperature or air quality difference.
I'd go to Io tomorrow if I could and if there was some way I could survive!

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 75 - 14:48:37 ]
RE: [Maran] What was your most worst moment of your career?
I got pretty discouraged about the time I was finishing my Ph.D., in about 1984-85, because the funds available for research in England were almost zero! I took a job teaching math at a junior high (equivalent) and didn't like that! So, I left the job and decided to do whatever it took to go back to research. I got a lucky break getting the job at Greenwich and an even luckier one coming to JPL

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 76 - 14:49:46 ]
RE: [stephanie] How old do you haveto be to be in the space stanetion?
I don't know how old you have to be to become an astronaut. The Johnson Space Center web page should have an answer.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 82 - 14:51:42 ]
RE: [Hope] Can you tell how old the volcanoes on Io are?
That is a very good question. We don't know how old they are. What we can tell is something about the age of the surface that the lavas build around the volcanoes. All of Io's surface is young in planetary terms because we don't see any impact craters. Some of the surface we see is days or even hours old - we see lava erupting!

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 83 - 14:52:30 ]
RE: [Amandaage10] Does your son ever get to go with you on trips? Has he been to any volcanoes with you?
I have taken my son to a few volcanoes, but only when I was on vacation! Maybe in a few years he will be old enough to help me in field work.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 84 - 14:53:32 ]
RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] What is the average temperature on Io?
Very cold!!! Between 90 and 120 K (that is degrees Kelvin, take away 273 to get Celsius)

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 85 - 14:54:16 ]
RE: [Christa] IF Io has 100 volcanoes then about how many volcanoese does Jupiter
Jupiter is a gas planet - there is no solid surface (at least not that we can see). So, there are no volcanoes on Jupiter.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 86 - 14:54:48 ]
RE: [Maya] I think you are a good role model for young people-thanks for taking out the time.
Thanks! It's been fun talking to you

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 87 - 14:56:00 ]
RE: [SynopsysKidsGroup] What is the oldest volcanoes?
We don't know what the oldest volcano on Io is - it's not possible to tell because most of them are still active and we don't see impact craters. Craters are a good measure of how old a surface is.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 93 - 14:57:25 ]
RE: [Maran] What facinated you in volcanoes in space?
I became interested in planetary geology while I was studying astronomy in college. I went on to do a Ph.D. with that professor (who had given the course) as an advisor. He was a volcanologist and he took me to Mt. Etna to help him out. I have loved volcanoes ever since.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 94 - 14:58:04 ]
RE: [SynopsysKidsGroup] What is the largest named volcanoe on Io?
Loki is the largest caldera (volcanic crater) in the solar system, as well as the most powerful volcano

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 95 - 14:58:51 ]
RE: [Maran] Did anyone want you to have a different job?
Yes, when I was a little girl wanting to study astronomy everybody thought I was crazy!

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 96 - 15:00:00 ]
RE: [Stephanie/Edmonton] What causes the Io torus?
The volcanoes on Io send particles out in space, mostly sulfur and oxygen. The plumes from the volcanoes can go 100s of km high

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 99 - 15:00:52 ]
RE: [Maran] Do you have a partner, or do you work alone?
I work with a team of people, we do different parts of projects. I have 3 or 4 collaborators I work with a lot.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 100 - 15:01:54 ]
RE: [JenniandKatie] Has anything been found on Pluto?
Pluto has a moon, Charon, in fact they are like "twin planets". We will find out a lot more about Pluto when a spacecraft eventually is sent there.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 101 - 15:02:36 ]
RE: [lauramegan] What does Io mean? These are appropraite questions!
Io is a name from the Greek/Roman mythology. She was one of Jupiter's many girlfriends.

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 102 - 15:02:57 ]
It is just about 3:00 and time to close. There are still a few questions in the room that Rosaly might answer if she has the time. Rosayly you are quick at these!

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 103 - 15:03:26 ]
RE: [JenniandKatie] What do you like best about your job?
I like discovering things, and the feeling that I am exploring space, even if I am not actually going there myself.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 104 - 15:04:23 ]
RE: [Maran] Do you study other things in space? Or just volcanoes?
I study mostly volcanoes. You have to become a specialist in something in order to do research well, and volcanoes are what I chose.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 105 - 15:05:33 ]
RE: [SynopsysKidsGroup] Are there volcanoes on other planets moons besides jupiter and the planet earth?
Yes, there are volcanoes on the Moon (the dark areas are old lava flows), on Mars, Venus, perhaps Mercury. Then we also have "cold" volcanism on the cold moons such as Europa.

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 106 - 15:07:51 ]
RE: [SynopsysKidsGroup] How do volcanoes erupt on Io?
Similar to how they erupt on Earth. Magma comes to the surface, the gas comes out of the magma and forms a plume, lava flows on the surface. however, there are many differences as well (see next question)

[ RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL - 107 - 15:09:33 ]
RE: [Margaret] Hi, Rosaly Do you have any theories yet on why Io is such a heat engine being so far away from the sun?
It's not my theory! It's been known for some time that it is the effect of Jupiter's gravity on one side of Io and the gravity of Europa and Ganymede on the other side. It is called tidal heating, that is what drives volcanoes on Io. It is a complicated answer, but you can think of Io heating up because it is in a tug of war between Jupiter and the other moons

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 110 - 15:12:30 ]
RE: [RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL] Thanks for setting this up, Tish. It's been fun. I hope I didn't miss any...
Thank you Rosaly for your time today. You did a fantastic job! I think we've got them all. Thank you to those of you who joined us and prepared yourself by researching Rosaly's work. Hope you enjoyed the chat.[Be sure to share your thoughts about today's chat with us, at http://quest.nasa.gov/qchats.]

[ Tish/NASAChatHost - 111 - 15:13:01 ]
RE: [RosalyLopes-Gautier/JPL] I'll log off now. Bye!
Bye Rosaly - Thanks