Trans-Neptunian Solar System

Dina K. Prialnik is a Professor and the Jose Goldenberg Chair in Planetary Physics at Tel Aviv University. Her research interests include theoretical studies of comets, the thermal evolution of Mars, the structure and evolution of icy satellites and stars, and Nova outbursts. She is the author of a book and more than 90 journal articles on these topics. She is Vice President of the International Astronomical Union, Associate Editor of Meteoritics and Planetary Sciences, and has an asteroid named for her.

Antonella Barucci is a planetary astrophysicist at the Observatoire de Paris, specialist in the exploration of the solar system. She studies the chemical and physical nature of the primitive bodies of the solar system. In 2017 she received the NASA Silver Achievement Medal for her contributions to the astronomical characterization of the asteroid Bennu. She has worked on several space missions, including Cassini-Hugyens, Rosetta, and Dawn. Currently she is co-investigator of BepiColombo, Hayabusa2, and OSIRIS-REx.

Dr. Leslie Young received her Ph.D. from MIT in 1994, and has devoted her career to the study of the outer solar system, in particular the dwarf planet Pluto and its surroundings. She worked at NASA Ames Research Center and Boston University, prior to joining the staff of the Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado in 1999. She has worked extensively on the New Horizons mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, including serving as a Deputy Project Scientist and Team Lead for Pluto Encounter Planning. She has published over 100 articles.