People: Astrobiology Graduate Students

Darci Snowden
Earth & Space Sciences

I am in my 5th year in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences, and I came to the University of Washington with a B.S. in Physics from Harvey Mudd College. I discovered the Astrobiology Program after I arrived at UW. After taking a few courses, I knew I had to be part of it.

The Astrobiology Program has allowed me to learn about scientific disciplines ranging from microbiology to astrophysics. I believe interdisciplinary studies are the key to becoming a great planetary scientist. This is especially true as we begin to hunt for life within our own solar system and beyond. Also, having the ability to engage with scientists from different fields will give me flexibility in my scientific career; which will help me keep things exciting.

For my thesis research, I study the interaction between Saturn’s magnetosphere and Titan’s dense atmosphere. Unlike Earth, Titan does not have a planetary magnetic field; therefore, the plasma and fields that make up Saturn’s magnetosphere interact directly with the charged and neutral components of Titan’s atmosphere. Titan is interesting to astrobiologists because of the organic components of its thick atmosphere, which are products of chemical reactions that originate in the charged upper atmosphere. Researching Titan also helps us to understand the habitability of planets or moons that do not have strong intrinsic magnetic fieldsor on Earth when its magnetic field may have been much weaker or non-existent during field reversals.