Benjamin Weiss

Research Interests

I study the formation and evolution of planetary bodies through laboratory analysis, spacecraft observations, and fieldwork. In the MIT Planetary Magnetism Laboratory, we develop high sensitivity, high resolution techniques to image the magnetic fields embedded in rock samples collected from meteorites, the lunar surface, and sites around the Earth. Studying these magnetic signatures can help us answer questions about the conditions of the early solar system, past climates on Earth and Mars, and factors that promote habitability. Currently, I’m the Deputy Principal Investigator on the NASA Psyche mission and a Co-Investigator on both the Mars 2020 rover and Europa Clipper missions.

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 2020, and Europa Clipper missions, Ben has also been part of science teams on the SpaceIL Beresheet, JAXA Hayabusa 2, and ESA Rosetta missions.