Jürgen Blum

Professor for Extraterrestrial Physics at the Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics of the University of Braunschweig, Germany

Contact Information

Institute for Geophysics and Extraterrestrial Physics
University of Braunschweig
Mendelssohnstr. 3
38106 Braunschweig
Germany
Phone: ++49 (0)531 391 5217
Fax: ++49 (0)531 391 8126
E-mail: j.blum@tu-bs.de

Education

Research Areas: 

• Laboratory astrophysics: Simulation of cosmic processes in the laboratory; dust agglomeration; fabrication and characterization of protoplanetary and cometary analog materials; nano and micro particles; ice experiments.

• Cosmic dust: morphological, optical, electrostatic, aerodynamic and collisional properties of cosmic dust; characterization of cosmic dust by in-situ measurements; dust collection in the upper atmosphere (stratosphere and mesosphere); collection of cosmic dust in space experiments.

• Formation of planetary systems: Initial phase of dust growth in young planetary systems, properties of protoplanetary dust aggregates; properties of macroscopic bodies in young planetary systems; physical properties of planetesimals and cometesimals.

• Minor bodies in the solar system: Experimental simulation of regolith formation; optical and mechanical properties of regolith; density and porosity of primitive bodies in the solar system, collisions among ring particles and structure formation in Saturn’s rings.

• Low-gravity experiments: Experiments on dust aggregation, regolith formation, Brownian motion and rotation, granular media, photophoresis, and thermophoresis; particle traps under microgravity conditions; utilization of drop tower, parabolic flights, sounding rockets, space shuttle and the ISS; construction of an autonomous model aircraft for parabolic flights and a lab-based mini drop tower.

Some Relevant Publications: 

• R. Geretshauser, R. Speith, C. Güttler, M. Krause, J. Blum, Numerical Simulations of Highly Porous Dust Aggregates in the Low-Velocity Collision Regime. Implementation and Calibration of a Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics Code, Astronomy & Astrophysics 513, A58, 2010 NASA ADS

• C. Güttler, J. Blum, A. Zsom, C.W. Ormel, C.P. Dullemond, The outcome of protoplanetary dust growth: pebbles, boulders, or planetesimals? I. Mapping the zoo of laboratory collision experiments, Astronomy & Astrophysics 513, A56, 2010 NASA ADS

• A. Zsom, C.W. Ormel, C. Güttler, J. Blum, C. P. Dullemond, The outcome of protoplanetary dust growth: pebbles, boulders, or planetesimals? II. Introducing the bouncing barrier, Astronomy & Astrophysics 513, A57, 2010 NASA ADS

• D. Heißelmann, J. Blum, H. Fraser, K. Wolling, Microgravity experiments on the collision behavior of Saturnian ring particles, Icarus 206, 424-430, 2010 NASA ADS

• C. Güttler, M. Krause, R.J. Geretshauser, R. Speith, J. Blum, The Physics of Protoplanetesimal Dust Agglomerates. IV. Towards a Dynamical Collision Model, Astrophys .J. 701, 130-141, 2009 NASA ADS

• R. Weidling, C. Güttler, J. Blum, F. Brauer, The Physics of Protoplanetesimal Dust Agglomerates. III. Compaction in Multiple Collisions, Astrophys. J. 696, 2036-2043, 2009 NASA ADS

• J.M. Trigo-Rodriguez, J. Blum, Tensile Strength as an Indicator of the Degree of Primitiveness of Undifferentiated Bodies, Planetary and Space Science 57, 243-249, 2009 NASA ADS

• A. Tamanai, H. Mutschke, J. Blum, Th. Posch, C. Koike, J.W. Ferguson, Morphological Effects on IR Band Profiles. Experimental spectroscopic analysis with application to observed spectra of oxygen-rich AGB stars, Astronomy & Astrophysics 501, 251-267, 2009 NASA ADS

• J. Blum, G. Wurm, The Growth Mechanisms of Macroscopic Bodies in Protoplanetary Disks, Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics 46, 21-56, 2008 NASA ADS

• C. Güttler, T. Poppe, J.T. Wasson, J. Blum, Exposing Metal and Silicate Charges to Electrical Discharges: Did Chondrules form by Nebular Lightning? Icarus 195, 504-510, 2008 NASA ADS

• D. Langkowski. J. Teiser, J. Blum, The Physics of Protoplanetesimal Dust Agglomerates II. Low Velocity Collision Properties, Astrophys. J. 675, 764-776, 2008 NASA ADS

• C. Dominik, J. Blum, J.N. Cuzzi, G. Wurm, Growth of Dust as Initial Step Toward Planet Formation, Protostars & Planets V (B. Reipurth, D. Jewitt, and K. Keil, eds.), University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 783-800, 2007.NASA ADS

• J. Blum, R. Schräpler, B. Davidsson, J. Trigo-Rodriguez, The Physics of Protoplanetesimal Dust Agglomerates I. Mechanical Properties and Relations to Primitive Bodies in the Solar System, Astrophys. J. 652, 1768-1781, 2006 NASA ADS

• J. Blum, S. Bruns, D. Rademacher, A. Voss, B. Willenberg, M. Krause, Measurement of the translational and rotational Brownian motion of individual particles in a rarefied gas in the transition region between ballistic and diffusive motion, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 230601, 2006 NASA ADS

• J. Blum, Dust Agglomeration, Advances in Physics 55, Nos. 7-8, 881-947, 2006 NASA ADS

• J. Blum, R. Schräpler, Structure and Mechanical Properties of High-Porosity Macroscopic Agglomerates Formed by Random Ballistic Deposition, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 115503, 2004 NASA ADS

• M. Krause, J. Blum, Growth and Form of Planetary Seedlings: Results from a Sounding Rocket Microgravity Aggregation Experiment, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 021103, 2004 NASA ADS

• J. Blum, G. Wurm, S. Kempf, T. Poppe, H. Klahr, T. Kozasa, M. Rott, T. Henning, J. Dorschner, R. Schräpler, H.U. Keller, W.J. Markiewicz, I. Mann, B.A.S. Gustafson, F. Giovane, D. Neuhaus, H. Fechtig, E. Grün, B. Feuerbacher, H. Kochan, L. Ratke, A. El Goresy, G. Morfill, S.J. Weidenschilling, G. Schwehm, K. Metzler, W.-H. Ip, Growth and Form of Planetary Seedlings: Results from a Microgravity Aggregation Experiment, Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 2426-2429, 2000 NASA ADS

• T. Poppe, J. Blum, Th. Henning, Analogous Experiments on the Stickiness of Micron-Sized Preplanetary Dust, Astrophys. J. 533, 454-471, 2000 NASA ADS

• T. Poppe, J. Blum, Th. Henning, Experiments on Collisional Grain Charging of Micron-sized Preplanetary Dust, Astrophys. J. 533, 472-480, 2000 NASA ADS

• J. Blum, G. Wurm, Experiments on Sticking, Restructuring and Fragmentation of Preplanetary Dust Aggregates, Icarus 143, 138-146, 2000 NASA ADS

• L.-O. Heim, J. Blum, M. Preuss, H.-J. Butt, Adhesion and Friction Forces Between Spherical Micrometer-Sized Particles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, No. 16, 3328-3331, 1999 NASA ADS

• G. Wurm, J. Blum, Experiments on Preplanetary Dust Aggregation, Icarus 132, 125-136, 1998 NASA ADS

• T. Kozasa, J. Blum, H. Okamoto, T. Mukai, Optical Properties of Dust Aggregates: II. Angular Dependence of Scattered Light, Astronomy & Astrophysics 276, 278-288, 1993 NASA ADS

• J. Blum, M. Münch, Experimental Investigations on Aggregate-Aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar Nebula, Icarus 106, 151-167, 1993 NASA ADS

• T. Mukai, H. Ishimoto, T. Kozasa, J. Blum, J.M. Greenberg, Radiation Pressure Forces on Fluffy Porous Grains, Astronomy & Astrophysics 262, 315-320, 1992 NASA ADS

• T. Kozasa, J. Blum, T. Mukai, Optical Properties of Dust Aggregates: I. Wavelength Dependence, Astronomy & Astrophysics 263, 423-432, 1992 NASA ADS