Benjamin Weiss

Research Interests

I study the formation, evolution, and history of planets and small bodies, with a particular focus on planetary magnetism and habitability. I conduct laboratory analyses of planetary samples and in situ spacecraft exploration of solar system bodies to understand the history of planetary physical and chemical processes. I direct the MIT Planetary Magnetism Laboratory, which develops and applies high sensitivity, high resolution techniques to analyze the magnetization in rock samples collected from asteroids, the Moon, and Earth. I am also Deputy Principal Investigator and Magnetometry Investigation Lead on the NASA Psyche mission, Co-Investigator on the NASA Mars Perseverance rover and Europa Clipper missions, and Co-Investigator on the JAXA Hayabusa2 mission.

Topics I Investigate

• Nebular magnetic fields in the early solar system
• Planetesimal structures and dynamos
• Lunar magnetism and the early lunar dynamo
• Hadean Earth and the origins of Earth’s magnetic field
• The Martian dynamo and changes in Mars’ paleoclimate
• Innovations in magnetic microscopy

Biographic Sketch

Ben Weiss joined the EAPS faculty in 2004 and is the current Chair of the Program in Planetary Science. After studying physics at Amherst College, he went on to study planetary science and geology at the California Institute of Technology, earning a master’s in 2001 and PhD in 2003. Ben’s doctoral dissertation on Martian meteorite ALH 84001 revealed records of the ancient Martian climate and magnetic field, and provided evidence some meteorites could transfer materials from Mars to Earth without heat-sterilization. He is known for key insights into the history of our solar system, including discoveries about the early nebular magnetic field, the Moon’s long-lived core dynamo, and asteroids that generated core dynamos in the past. In addition to leadership roles on the active NASA Psyche, Mars Perseverance, and Europa Clipper missions, Ben has also been part of science teams on the SpaceIL Beresheet, JAXA Hayabusa 2, and ESA Rosetta missions.