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Faculty Profile

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209 Kimball
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

Phone: 607/255-7186

Joseph A. Burns

Irving Porter Church Professor of Engineering; Professor, Astronomy

B.S. 1962 (Webb Institute of Naval Architecture)

Ph.D. 1966 (Cornell)

Professional Biography

After receiving his doctoral degree, Burns joined the Cornell faculty and then spent a year as a postdoctoral researcher at the Goddard Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Subsequently, he has spent sabbatical leaves at NASA's Ames Research Center (1975-76, 1982-83), at the University of California at Berkeley (1982-83), and at the University of Arizona (1989-90); on other leaves he has been an exchange fellow in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia (1973) and at the Observatory of Paris (1979, 1984). He is a member of the International Astronomical Union and the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) and Division of Dynamical Astronomy. He is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, and a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Between 1978 and 1997 he edited Icarus: The International Journal of Solar System Studies. He now is Associate Editor of it and of Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, as well as sits on Science's Board of Reviewing Editors. In 1994 he received the Harold Masursky Prize of the DPS. He is a member of the imaging teams on the Cassini (Saturn) and Rosetta (Comet) missions.

Research Interests

In our research we use the principles of mechanics and classical physics to understand various aspects of the current structure of the solar system. Even minute forces, acting over eons, can have noticeable evolutionary effects. Our strength lies in the area of dynamics, and much of the work involves solving differential equations analytically or numerically. Perhaps more than people in other disciplines, however, we are often satisfied with approximate or qualitative solutions to problems, since the data to be explained are often limited.

Much of our current effort is concerned with interpreting results returned from spacecraft, particularly those exploring the ring systems of the giant planets. Our group has had several recent successes. Our numerical modeling of the cumulative effects of perturbations by nearby moons has provided the accepted explanation for a narrow, clumpy, "braided" ringlet around Saturn that was found by the Voyager spacecraft. Using Fourier techniques, we have characterized the periodic structure of this ringlet and, on the basis of that analysis and a study of local plasma absorptions, we have hypothesized that several small satellites lie near this ring. We have used image-processing techniques to understand the structure of the faint rings surrounding Jupiter and have postulated that the visible ring consists of ejecta thrown from unseen moonlets embedded in the ring. We have also argued that much of the ring's structure is produced by radiation forces and electromagnetic forces that modify the orbits of small grains. We have studied long-term evolutionary effects, including orbital collapse and resonances, that are due to such forces. We are interested in the motion of dust through interplanetary space after ejection from comets, and most recently through tenuous ring systems; in the latter case our solutions indicate how ejecta from one natural satellite will impact adjacent satellites to coat their surfaces.

Using a sophisticated symplectic integrator that includes the gravitational effects of all the planets but Pluto, we have recently undertaken a study of the orbital histories of particles in the inner solar system. In particular, to understand the sources and evolution of meteorites that land on Earth, we have numerically integrated the paths of ejecta thrown off the terrestrial planets as well as other particles that are introduced near resonant orbits in the asteroid belt. We find that long-range gravitational effects, called secular resonances, and the Yarkovsky radiation force may be instrumental in bringing certain meteorites rapidly to Earth.

Burns has been on teams of former students and associates who have used ground-based telescopes to discover numerous irregular satellites around Uranus, Saturn and Neptune. Using spacecraft observatories, they have found faint rings about Jupiter and Saturn. These new bodies present interesting dynamical problems that are currently under study.

Selected Publications

  • J.A Burns, 1968. Jupiter's decametric radio emission and the radiation belts of its Galilean satellites. Science 159. Article
  • J. A. Burns and A. Alfonso-Faus, 1968. Discussion of paper by Antonio Alfonso-Faus: Solar wind and planetary rotation. J. Geophys. Res. 73, 4449-4451. PDF
  • T. P. Mitchell and J. A. Burns, 1968. Relativistic dynamics of a point charge in a magnetic monopole field. J. Mathematical Physics 9, 2016-2017. PDF
  • J. A. Burns and G. Halpern, 1968. Dynamics of a charged particle in a spiral field. J. Geophys. Res. 73, 7377-7384. PDF
  • J. A. Burns, 1970. More on pumping a swing. Amer. Jnl. Physics 38, 920-922. PDF
  • J. A. Burns, 1970. The free dynamics of pulsars. Nature 228, 986-988. PDF
  • J. F. Soechting and J. A. Burns, 1971.Perturbation solution for charged particle acceleration by an electrostatic wave. International Jnl. Non-Linear Mech. 6, 401-411. PDF
  • P. L. Lamy and J. A. Burns, 1972. Geometrical approach to torque-free motion of a rigid body having internal energy dissipation. Amer. Jnl. Physics 40, 441-445. PDF
  • J. A. Burns, 1972. The dynamical characteristics of Phobos and Deimos. Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics 10, 462-483. PDF
  • D. C. McAdoo and J. A. Burns, 1973. Further evidence for collisions among asteroids. Icarus 18, 285-293. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1973. Where are the satellites of the inner planets? Nature 242, 23-25
  •  J. A. Burns and M. Harwit, 1973. Towards a more habitable Mars - or the coming of Martian spring. Icarus 19, 126-130. Article
  • J. A. Burns and J. Klein Burns 1973. Kinetic art: A mural of variably-stressed photoelastic material with lightpolarizers. Leonardo 6, 325-328. PDF
  • J. A. Burns and V. S. Safronov, 1973. Asteroid nutation angles. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 165, 403-411. See also, Ugli nutatsii asteroidof. Fizika Zemli 11, 3-11 (1974). Article
  • D. C. McAdoo and J. A. Burns, 1974. Approximate axial alignment times for spinning bodies. Icarus 21, 86-93. Article
  • D. C. McAdoo and J. A. Burns, 1975. The Coprates Trough assemblage: More evidence for Martian polar wander. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 25, 347-354. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1975. The angular momenta of solar system bodies: Implications for asteroid strengths. Icarus 25, 545-554. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1976. Consequences of the tidal slowing of Mercury. Icarus 27, 543-548. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1976. An elementary derivation of the perturbation equations of celestial mechanics. Amer. Jnl. Physics 44, 944-949. (Erratum AJP 45, 1230). Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1977. Oribital evolution. In Planetary Satellites (J. A. Burns Ed.), University of Arizona Press, Tucson, pp. 113-156. Abstract
  • S. Soter, J. A. Burns, and P. Lamy, 1977. Radiation pressure and Poynting-Robertson drag for small spherical particles. In Comets, Asteroids, Meteorites: Interrelations, Evolution and Origins (A. Delsemme, Ed.), University of Toledo Press, Toledo, Ohio, pp. 121-125 Abstract
  • D. E. Gault, J. A. Burns, P. Cassen, and R. Strom, 1977. Mercury. Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 15, 97-126. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1978. On the orbital evolution and origin of the Martian moons. Vistas in Astronomy 22, 193-210. Article
  • W. R. Ward, J. A. Burns, and O. B. Toon, 1979. Past Obliquity oscillations of Mars: The role of the Tharsis uplift. J. Geophys. Red. 84, 243-259. Article
  • J. B. Pollack, J. A. Burns, and M. E. Tauber, 1979. Gas drag in primordial circumplanetary nebulae: A mechanism for satellite capture. Icarus 37, 587-611. Abstract
  • J. N. Cuzzi, R. H. Durisen, J. A. Burns, and P. Hamill, 1979. The vertical structure and thickness of Saturn's rings. Icarus 38, 54-68; and Nature 281, 202-204 Abstract
  • W. E. Van Arsdale and J. A. Burns, 1979. A self-consistent tidal theory for imperfectly elastic bodies. Lunar Planet. Sci. 10, 1259-1261. Article
  • J. A. Burns, P. L. Lamy, and S. Soter, 1979. Radiation forces on small particles in the solar system. Icarus 40, 1-48. Article
  • A. W. Harris and J. A. Burns, 1979. Asteroid rotation. I. Tabulation and analysis of rates, pole positions and shapes. Icarus 40, 114-144. Article
  • J.A. Burns, P. Hamill, J. N. Cuzzi, and R. H. Durisen, 1979. On the "thickness" of Saturn's rings caused by satellite and solar perturbations and by planetary precession. Astron. J. 84, 17831801. Article
  • J. A. Burns and E. F. Tedesco, 1979. Brightness variations of asteroids: Implications for rotation rates and shapes. In Asteroids (T. Gehrels, Ed.), University of Arizona Press, Tucson, pp. 494-527. PDF
  • J. Veverka and J. A. Burns, 1980. The moons of Mars. Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 8, 527-588. PDF
  • J. A. Burns and S. Soter, 1980. A simple derivation of the radiation forces felt by scattering particles. In Solid Particles in the Solar System (IAU Symposium #90) (I. Halliday and B. McIntosh. Eds.), D. Reidel, Dordrecht, Holland, pp. 281-284. Article
  • A. R. Dobrovolskis and J. A. Burns 1980. Life near the Roche limit: The behavior of ejecta from satellites close to planets. Icarus 42, 422-441. Article
  • W. E. Van Arsdale and J. A. Burns, 1980. Tidal heating of viscoelastic Moon: Comparison to the "elastic" calculation. Lunar Planet. Sci. 11, 1190-1192. Article
  • J. A. Burns, M. R. Showalter, J. N. Cuzzi, and J. B. Pollack, 1980. Physical processes in Jupiter's ring: Clues for an origin by Jove! Icarus 44, 339-360. Article
  • O. B. Toon, J. B. Pollack, W. R. Ward, J. A. Burns, and K. Bilski, 1980. The astronomical theory of climatic change on Mars. Icarus 44, 552-607. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1981. Ball rolling on a turntable: Analog of charged particle dynamics. Am. Jnl. Phys. 49, 56-58. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1981. Planetary rings. In The New Solar System (J. K. Beatty, B. O'Leary, and A. Chaikin, Eds.), Sky Publishing Corp., Cambridge, Mass., pp. 129-142. [Second Edition, 1982]. Abstract
  • J. A. Burns, 1982. The dynamical evolution of the solar system. In Formation of Planetary Systems (A. Brahic, Ed.), pp 403-502. Cepaudes, Toulouse, France. Abstract
  • M. R. Showalter and J. A. Burns, 1982. A numerical study of Saturn's F-ring. Icarus 52, 526-544. Article
  • J. A. Burns and M. R. Showalter, 1983. The puzzling dynamics of Saturn's F-Ring. In Motion of Planets and Natural and Artificial Satellites (S. Ferraz-Mello and P. E. Nacozy, Eds.), University of Sao Paulo Press, Sao Paulo, pp. 201-213. Abstract
  • R. H. Durisen, J. E. Tohline, J. A. Burns, and A. R. Dobrovolskis, 1983. Preferred orbit planes in the gravitational field of a tumbling spheroidal mass distribution. Astrophys. Jnl. 264, 392-407. Abstract
  • J. A. Burns, M. R. Showalter, J. M. Cuzzi, and R. H. Durisen, 1983. Saturn's electrostatic discharges: Could lightning be the cause? Icarus 54, 280-295. Article
  • A. R. Dobrovolskis and J. A. Burns, 1984. Angular momentum drain: A mechanism for despinning asteroids. Icarus 57, 464-476. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1984. Planetary rings. In Advances in Space Res. 4: Dust in Space and Comets (G. Morfill, C. T. Russell, and M. S. Hanner, Eds.), Pergamon Press, London, 107-110. Article
  • L. Schaffer and J. A. Burns, 1984. Dust motion in Jupiter's tilted magnetic field. In Advances in Space Res. 4: Dust in SPace and Comets (G. Morfill, C. T. Russell, and M. S. Hanner, Eds.), Pergamon Press, London, 107-110. Article
  • J. A. Burns, M. R. Showalter, and G. Morfill, 1984. The ethereal rings of Jupiter and Saturn. In Planetary Rings (R. Greenberg and A. Brahic, Eds.), University of Arizona Press, Tucson, pp. 200-272. Abstract
  • S. F. Dermott, P. D. Nicholson, J. A. Burns, and J. R. Houck, 1984. Origin of the solar system dust bands discovered by IRAS. Nature 312, 505-508. Article
  • J. A. Burns, L. Schaffer, R. J. Greenberg, and M. R. Showalter, 1985. Lorentz resonances and the structure of Jupiter's rings. Nature 316, 115-119. Article
  • M. R. Showalter, J. A. Burns, J. N. Cuzzi, and J. B. Pollack, 1985. Discovery of Jupiter's "gossamer" ring. Nature 316, 526-528. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1985. The composition and structure of planetary rings. In Ices in the Solar System (J. Klinger, D. Benest, A. Dollfus, and R. Smoluchowski, Eds.), D. Reidel, Dordrecht, 655-680. Abstract
  • S. F. Dermott, P. D. Nicholson, J. A. Burns, and J. R. Houck, 1985. An analysis of IRAS' solar system dust bands. In Properties and Interactions of Interplanetary Dust (R. H. Giese and P. Lemy, Eds.), D. Reidel Publishing Co., 395-409. Abstract
  • J. A. Burns, 1986. Preface (with M. S. Matthews), Map Section, Index (with M. Magisos). In Satellites (J. A. Burns and M. S, Matthews Eds.), University of Arizona Press, ix-x, 888-913, 1003-1021. Abstract
  • J. A. Burns, 1986. Some background about satellites. In Satellites (J. A. Burns and M. S. Matthews, Eds.), University of Arizona Press, 1-38. Abstract
  • J. A. Burns, 1986. The evolution of satellite orbits. In Satellites (J. A. Burns and M. S. Matthews, Eds.), University of Arizona Press, 117-158. Abstract
  • L. Schaffer and J. A. Burns, 1987. The dynamics of weakly-charged dust: Motion through Jupiter's gravitational and magnetic fields. Jnl. Geophys. Res. 92, 2264-2280. Article
  • J. A. Burns, 1987. The motion of interplanetary dust. In The Evolution of the Small Bodies of the Solar System (M. Fulchignoni and L. Kresak, Eds.), North Holland Press, 252-275. Abstract Info
  • J. A. Burns, 1987. Rings around planets. In the Evolution of Small Bodies of the Solar System (M. Fulchignoni and L. Kresak, Eds.), North Holland Press, 301-307.
  • M. R. Showalter, J. A. Burns, J. N Cuzzi, and J. B. Pollack, 1987. Jupiter's ring system: New results on structure and particle properties. Icarus 69, 458-498. Article
  • D. A. Gurnett, W. S. Kurth, F. L. Scarf, J. A. Burns, J. N. Cuzzi, and E. Grun, 1987. Micron-sized impacts detected near Uranus by Voyager 2 Plasma Wave Instrument. Jnl. Geophys. Res. 92, 14,959-14,968. Article
  • J. N. Cuzzi and J. A. Burns, 1988. Charged particle depletion surrounding Saturn's F Ring: Evidence for a moonlet belt? Article
  • J. A. Burns and L. E. Schaffer, 1989. Orbital evolution of circumplanetary dust by resonant charge variations. Nature 337, 340-343. Article Info
  • M. V. Sykes, R. J. Greenberg, S. F. Dermott, P. D. Nicholson, J. A. Burns, and T. N. Gautier, 1980. Dust bands in the asteroid belt. In Asteroids II (R. Binzel, T. Gehrels, and M. S. Matthews, Eds.), University of Arizona Press, 336-367. Abstract
  • J. A. Burns, 1989. Are comet spins primordial? Nature 338, 303. Article
  • A. M. Nobili and J. A. Burns, 1989. Solar system chaos. Science 244, 1425. Abstract
  • B. Gladman, L. Dones, H.F. Levison and J.A. Burns 2005. Impact seeding and re-seeding in the inner solar system. Astrobiology 5, 483-496. Article
  • I. Sharma, J. T. Jenkins and J. A. Burns 2005b. Equilibrium shapes of ellipsoidal soil asteroids. Powders & Grains, in press
  • M. Kuppers et al. A large dust/ice ration in the nucleus of comet 9P/Tempel 1. Nature 437, 987-990.
  • C.D. Murray et al. How Prometheus creates structure in Saturn's F ring. Nature 437, 1326-1330.
  • J. A. Burns. The nature of research. Connecting with Cornell 19, 88-90.
  • C.C. Porco et al. Cassini observes the active south pole of Enceladus. Science 311, 1393-1401 PDF
  • M.S. Tiscareno et al. 2006 100-metre-diameter moonlets in Saturn's A ring from observations of "propeller" structures. Nature 440, xxx-yyy.
  • J.A. Burns and J.N. Cuzzi. Saturn's rings: Our local astrophysical disk. 2006 Science 312, 1752-1754.
  •  M.R. Showaetler et al. 2007 Properties and dynamics of Jupiter's gossamer rings from Galileo, Voyager, Hubble and Keck images. Icarus, 2006.
  • I. Sharma, J.T. Jenkins and J. A. Burns. Tidal encounter of ellipsoidal granular asteroids with planets. Icarus, 183, 312-330
  • C.C. Porco and the Cassini Imaging Team 2005a. Cassini imaging science: Initial results on Saturn's rings and small satellites. Science 307, 1226-1236. Article.
  • M. Cuk and J.A. Burns 2005. Effects of thermal radiation on the dynamics of binary NEAs. Icarus 176, 418-431 PDF
  • I. Sharma, J.A.Burns and C.Y. Hui 2005a. Nutational damping times for solids of revolution. Mon. Not. Royal Astro. Soc. 359, 79-92. Article
  • M. M. Hedman et al. (2007). The source of Saturn’s G ring. Science, 317, 653-656.