Ethan Finch

About

Jack completed his undergraduate MPhys (Hons) degree at the University of Kent in 2020, with a final-year research project focusing on the differences in ejecta distributions associated with dry and frozen sediment targets. After this, he began work on a PhD at the university under the joint supervision of Dr. Penny Wozniakiewicz and Prof. Mark Burchell, investigating changes to crater morphology within sediment-dominated permafrost mixture targets. In 2022 he was awarded an ESA OSIP grant to expand the scope of the project to study the cratering behaviour within simulant materials representing a wide variety of Solar System bodies, and the emplacement of Martian material on the surface of Phobos. He is now continuing to work towards a PhD under the joint supervision of Dr. Penny Wozniakiewicz, Dr. Jon Tandy, Dr. Elliot Sefton-Nash, and Prof. Mark Burchell.

Research interests

Jack is interested in the crater and ejecta formation processes occurring within ice-'silicate' permafrost surfaces throughout the Solar System. His current research - the Martian and Phobos Impact Processes (M-PIP) project - is co-funded by the European Space Agency and the University of Kent, and makes use of the universities two-stage light-gas gun. His work investigates the cratering behaviours within high-fidelity planetary simulant materials, with a particular focus on the surfaces of Mars and Phobos. In addition to the cratering and projectile emplacement processes occurring within the Martian system, his research investigates the pozzolanic cementitious behaviour of Martian planetary simulants, exploring the potential exploitation of in situ resources for human habitation on Mars. More information about the M-PIP project can be found here: https://research.kent.ac.uk/mars-phobos-impact-processes/

Professional

Memberships:

Membership of the IOP

Fellow of the RAS and Geological Society of London (GSL)