Michael Mendillo

About

Michael Mendillo heads the research group in the Center for Space Physics at Boston University. He is a faculty member in the Department of Astronomy and is also affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research interests encompass ionospheric and space plasma physics, planetary atmospheres, historical astronomy, space-based "active" experiments, and ground-based optical and radio diagnostics. Mendillo's work integrates multiple approaches to study the upper atmosphere and space environment, contributing to a deeper understanding of planetary aeronomy and space physics.

Research topics

• Physics
• Environmental science
• Computer Science
• Remote sensing
• Optics
• Geology
• Astronomy
• Astrobiology
• Atmospheric sciences
• Geophysics

Selected publications

• SIMBIO-SYS: Scientific Cameras and Spectrometer for the BepiColombo Mission

  Space Science Reviews · 2020 · 78 citations

  Abstract The SIMBIO-SYS (Spectrometer and Imaging for MPO BepiColombo Integrated Observatory SYStem) is a complex instrument suite part of the scientific payload of the Mercury Planetary Orbiter for the BepiColombo mission, the last of the cornerstone missions of the European Space Agency (ESA) Horizon + science program. The SIMBIO-SYS instrument will provide all the science imaging capability of the BepiColombo MPO spacecraft. It consists of three channels: the STereo imaging Channel (STC), wit…

  DOI

• Mars' Ionopause: A Matter of Pressures

  Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics · 2020 · 58 citations

  Abstract This study assesses under what circumstances the Martian ionopause is formed on the dayside, both in regions where there are strong crustal magnetic fields and areas where these fields are small (<30 nT). Multiple data sets from three MAVEN dayside deep dip campaigns are utilized between periapsis and 600–1,000 km, as well as solar wind observations from Mars Express. The ionopause is identified as a sudden decrease of the electron density with increasing altitude and a simultaneous…

  DOI

• The MAVEN Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE)

  Space Science Reviews · 2020 · 43 citations

  DOI

• Mars’ plasma system. Scientific potential of coordinated multipoint missions: “The next generation”

  Experimental Astronomy · 2021-11-13 · 23 citations

  articleOpen access

  The objective of this White Paper, submitted to ESA's Voyage 2050 call, is to get a more holistic knowledge of the dynamics of the Martian plasma system, from its surface up to the undisturbed solar wind outside of the induced magnetosphere. This can only be achieved with coordinated multi-point observations with high temporal resolution as they have the scientific potential to track the whole dynamics of the system (from small to large scales), and they constitute the next generation of the exp…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The ionosphere of Mars from solar minimum to solar maximum: Dayside electron densities from MAVEN and Mars Global Surveyor radio occultations

  Icarus · 2021-04-28 · 19 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Studies of Atmospheric Processes Using Imaging Science Techniques

  NSF · $1.1M · 2017–2021

• INSPIRE: Comparative Ionospheric Science---Earth, Solar System, Exo-Planets

  NSF · $1000k · 2015–2022

• Imaging Science and Modeling Investigations of the Upper Atmosphere

  NSF · $1.3M · 2006–2012

Frequent coauthors

• Jeffrey Baumgardner

  127 shared

• Paul Withers

  77 shared

• Luke Moore

  66 shared

• C. R. Martinis

  Boston University

  65 shared

• Ingo Mueller‐Wodarg

  Imperial College London

  63 shared

• J. Wroten

  Boston University

  54 shared

• J. K. Wilson

  University of New Hampshire

  53 shared

• C. Narvaez

  Boston University

  43 shared

Labs

• Michael Mendillo LabPI

Education

• Ph.D., Electrical Engineering

  Boston University

  1992

• M.S., Electrical Engineering

  Boston University

  1988

• B.S., Electrical Engineering

  University of Massachusetts Amherst

  1986

Similar researchers at Boston University

• Robert Grayh-76
• Xi Lingh-62
• Anatoli Polkovnikovh-60