Research Articles
Boer ID, H Nicholls, T Lichtenberg. Absence of a Runaway Greenhouse Limit on Lava Planets. The Astrophysical Journal (2025). pdf
Schlecker M, D Apai, A Affholder, S Ranjan, R Ferrière, KK Hardegree-Ullman, T Lichtenberg, S Mazevet. Bioverse: Potentially Observable Exoplanet Biosignature Patterns Under the UV Threshold Hypothesis for the Origin of Life. The Astrophysical Journal (2025). pdf
Farhat M, P Auclair-Desrotour, G Boué, T Lichtenberg, J Laskar. Tides on Lava Worlds: Application to Close-in Exoplanets and the Early Earth-Moon System. The Astrophysical Journal 979, 133 (2025). pdf
Hammond M, CM Guimond, T Lichtenberg, H Nicholls, et al. Reliable Detections of Atmospheres on Rocky Exoplanets with Photometric JWST Phase Curves. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 978, L40 (2025). pdf
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Nicholls H, RT Pierrehumbert, T Lichtenberg, L Soucasse, S Smeets. Convective shutdown in the atmospheres of lava worlds. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 536, 2957-2971 (2025). pdf
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Nicholls H, T Lichtenberg, DJ Bower, RT Pierrehumbert. Magma ocean evolution at arbitrary redox state. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 129, 2024JE008576 (2024). pdf
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Cesario L, T Lichtenberg et al. Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE). XIV. Finding terrestrial protoplanets in the galactic neighborhood. Astronomy & Astrophysics 692, A172 (2024). pdf
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Eatson JW, RJ Parker, T Lichtenberg. Towards a unified injection model of short-lived radioisotopes in N-body simulations of star-forming regions. The Astrophysical Journal 977, 13 (2024). pdf
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Meier TG, DJ Bower, T Lichtenberg, M Hammond, PJ Tackley, RT Pierrehumbert, et al. Geodynamics of super-Earth GJ 486b. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 129, e2024JE008491 (2024). pdf
Eatson JW, T Lichtenberg, RJ Parker, TV Gerya. Devolatilization of extrasolar planetesimals by 60Fe and 26Al heating. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 528, 6619-6630 (2024). pdf
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Shorttle O, S Jordan, H Nicholls, T Lichtenberg, DJ Bower. Distinguishing oceans of water from magma on mini-Neptune K2-18b. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 962, L8 (2024). pdf
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Schlecker M, D Apai, T Lichtenberg, G Bergsten, A Salvador, KK Hardegree-Ullman. Bioverse: The Habitable Zone Inner Edge Discontinuity as an Imprint of Runaway Greenhouse Climates on Exoplanet Demographics. The Planetary Science Journal 5, 3 (2024). pdf, video
Patel M, CKM Polius, M Ridsdill-Smith, T Lichtenberg, R Parker. Photoevaporation versus enrichment in the cradle of the Sun. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 525, 2399–2410 (2023). pdf
Meier TG, DJ Bower, T Lichtenberg, M Hammond, PJ Tackley. Interior dynamics of super-Earth 55 Cancri e. Astronomy & Astrophysics 678, A29 (2023). pdf
Piette AAA, P Gao, K Brugman, A Shahar, T Lichtenberg, F Miozzi, P Driscoll. Rocky planet or water world? Observability of low-density lava world atmospheres. The Astrophysical Journal 954, 29 (2023). pdf
Parker RJ, T Lichtenberg, M Patel, CKM Polius, M Ridsdill-Smith. Short-lived radioisotope enrichment in star-forming regions from stellar winds and supernovae. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 521, 4838–4851 (2023). pdf
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Janson M, J Patel, SC Ringqvist, C Lu, I Rebollido, T Lichtenberg, A Brandeker, D Angerhausen, L Noack. Imaging of exocomets with infrared interferometry. Astronomy & Astrophysics 671, A114 (2023). pdf
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Stammler SM, T Lichtenberg, J Drążkowska, T Birnstiel. Leaky dust traps: How fragmentation impacts dust filtering by planets. Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters 670, L5(2023). pdf
Bonsor A, T Lichtenberg, J Drążkowska, AM Buchan. Rapid formation of exoplanetesimals revealed by white dwarfs. Nature Astronomy 7, 39–48 (2023). pdf, article
Graham RJ, T Lichtenberg, RT Pierrehumbert. CO2 ocean bistability on terrestrial exoplanets. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 127, 2022JE007456 (2022). video, pdf
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Lichtenberg T, MS Clement. Reduced late bombardment on rocky exoplanets around M-dwarfs. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 938, L3 (2022). video, pdf
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Curry A, A Bonsor, T Lichtenberg, O Shorttle. Prevalence of short-lived radioactive isotopes across exoplanetary systems inferred from polluted white dwarfs. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 515, 395–406 (2022). pdf
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Dannert F et al. (incl. TL) Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): II. Signal simulation, signal extraction and fundamental exoplanet parameters from single epoch observations. Astronomy & Astrophysics 664, A22 (2022). pdf
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Quanz SP et al. (incl. TL) Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): I. Improved exoplanet detection yield estimates for a large mid-infrared space-interferometer mission. Astronomy & Astrophysics 664, A21 (2022). pdf, video, news
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Jin Z, M Bose, T Lichtenberg, GD Mulders. New evidence for wet accretion of inner solar system planetesimals from meteorites Chelyabinsk and Benenitra. The Planetary Science Journal 2, 244 (2021). pdf
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Tsai S-M, H Innes, T Lichtenberg, J Taylor, M Malik, K Chubb, RT Pierrehumbert. Inferring Shallow Surfaces on sub-Neptune Exoplanets with JWST. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 922, L27 (2021). pdf
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Dorn C, T Lichtenberg. Hidden water in magma ocean exoplanets. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 922, L4 (2021). pdf, video
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Graham RJ, T Lichtenberg, R Boukrouche, RT Pierrehumbert. A multispecies pseudoadiabat for simulating condensable-rich exoplanet atmospheres. The Planetary Science Journal 2, 207 (2021). pdf, video
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Boukrouche R, T Lichtenberg, RT Pierrehumbert. Beyond runaway: initiation of the post-runaway greenhouse state on rocky exoplanets. The Astrophysical Journal 919, 130 (2021). pdf, video
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Lichtenberg T. Redox hysteresis of super-Earth exoplanets from magma ocean circulation. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 914, L4 (2021). pdf, video, blog
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Lichtenberg T, S Krijt. System-level fractionation of carbon from disk and planetesimal processing. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 913, L20 (2021). pdf, video, blog
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Meier TG, DJ Bower, T Lichtenberg, PJ Tackley, B-O Demory. Hemispheric Tectonics on super-Earth LHS 3844b. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 908, L48 (2021). pdf, video, blog
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Lichtenberg T, DJ Bower, M Hammond, R Boukrouche, P Sanan, S-M Tsai, RT Pierrehumbert. Vertically resolved magma ocean-protoatmosphere evolution: H2, H2O, CO2, CH4, CO, O2, and N2 as primary absorbers. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126, e2020JE006711 (2021). pdf, video, blog
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Lichtenberg T, J Drążkowska, M Schönbächler, GJ Golabek, TO Hands. Bifurcation of planetary building blocks during Solar System formation. Science 371, 365–370 (2021). pdf, video, blog
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Lichtenberg T, GJ Golabek, R Burn, MR Meyer, Y Alibert, TV Gerya, CA Mordasini. A water budget dichotomy of rocky protoplanets from 26Al-heating. Nature Astronomy 3, 307–313 (2019). pdf, blog
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Lichtenberg T, T Keller, RF Katz, GJ Golabek, TV Gerya. Magma ascent in planetesimals: control by grain size. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 507, 154–165 (2019). pdf, video, blog
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Bonati I, T Lichtenberg, DJ Bower, ML Timpe, SP Quanz. Direct imaging of molten protoplanets in nearby young stellar associations. Astronomy & Astrophysics 621, A125 (2019). pdf, blog
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Hunt AC, DL Cook, T Lichtenberg, PM Reger, M Ek, GJ Golabek, M Schönbächler. Late metal–silicate separation on the IAB parent asteroid: Constraints from combined W and Pt isotopes and thermal modelling. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 482, 490-500 (2018). pdf
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Lichtenberg T, GJ Golabek, CP Dullemond, M Schönbächler, TV Gerya, MR Meyer. Impact splash chondrule formation during planetesimal recycling. Icarus 302, 27–43 (2018). pdf, blog
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Parker RJ, T Lichtenberg, SP Quanz. Was Planet 9 captured in the Sun's natal star-forming region? Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters 472, L75–L79 (2017). pdf
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Lichtenberg T, RJ Parker, MR Meyer. Isotopic enrichment of forming planetary systems from supernova pollution. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 462, 3979–3992 (2016). pdf, video, blog
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Lichtenberg T, GJ Golabek, TV Gerya, MR Meyer. The effects of short-lived radionuclides and porosity on the early thermo-mechanical evolution of planetesimals. Icarus 274, 350–365 (2016). pdf, video, blog
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Lichtenberg T & DRG Schleicher. Modeling gravitational instabilities in self-gravitating protoplanetary disks with adaptive mesh refinement techniques. Astronomy & Astrophysics 579, A32 (2015). pdf, video
Reviews
Lichtenberg T, Y Miguel. Super-Earths and Earth-like Exoplanets. Treatise on Geochemistry, 3rd edition (2025). pdf
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Suer T-A, C Jackson, DS Grewal, C Dalou, T Lichtenberg. The distribution of volatile elements during rocky planet formation. Frontiers in Earth Science 11:1159412 (2023). pdf
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Lichtenberg T, LK Schaefer, M Nakajima, R Fischer. Geophysical Evolution During Rocky Planet Formation. Protostars and Planets VII, ASP Conference Series, Vol. 534, 907 (2023). pdf
Perspectives & White Papers
Rauer et al. (incl. TL) The PLATO mission. Mission status update (2025). Experimental Astronomy 59, Issue 3, id. 26 pdf
Menti F et al. (incl. TL). Database of Candidate Targets for the LIFE Mission. Research Notes of the AAS, 8, 267 (2024). pdf
TRAPPIST-1 JWST Community Initiative (incl. TL) A roadmap for the atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets with JWST. Nature Astronomy Perspective (2024). pdf
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Meadows V et al. (incl. TL) Community Report from the Biosignatures Standards of Evidence Workshop. Workshop Report (2022). pdf
Helled R et al. (incl. TL) Ariel Planetary Interiors White Paper. Experimental Astronomy 53, 323-356 (2022). pdf
Tinetti G et al. (incl. TL) Ariel: Enabling planetary science across light-years. ESA Ariel Definition Study Report (2021). pdf
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Quanz SP et al. (incl. TL) Atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets in the mid-infared: biosignatures, habitability & diversity. ESA Voyage 2050 White Paper (2019). pdf
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Line M et al. (incl. TL) The Importance of Thermal Emission Spectroscopy for Understanding Terrestrial Exoplanets. Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, BAAS, 51, 3, 271 (2019). pdf
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Lyra W et al. (incl. TL) Planet formation — The case for large efforts on the computational side. Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, BAAS, 51, 3, 271 (2019). pdf
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Khullar G et al. (incl. TL) Astrobites as a Community-led Model for Education, Science Communication, and Accessibility in Astrophysics. Astro2020: Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics, BAAS, 51, 7, 230 (2019). pdf
Instrumentation
Glauser AM, SP Quanz, J Hansen, F Dannert, M Ireland, H Linz et al. (incl. TL). The Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): a space mission for mid-infrared nulling interferometry. Proceedings of the SPIE 13095, 130951D (2024).
Theses
Björn Koops, Rock-vapour species in lava exoplanet atmospheres. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2024).
Iris Boer, Redox dependency of the runaway greenhouse limit. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2024).
Jessica Helmerhorst, The under-dense region between super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2024).
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Lotte Bartels, Magma oceanography of GJ 367 b. M.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (06/2024).
Marijn Smorenburg, Volcanic climate change on hot terrestrial exoplanets. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2023).
Lucas Priolet, Distinguishing surface features on rocky exoplanets. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2023).
Lorenzo Cesario, Detecting Cooling Protoplanets with Next-Generation Surveys. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2023).
Boyd van der Plaat, The prevalence of steam atmospheres on hot rocky exoplanets. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2023).
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Tim Lichtenberg, Thermal Evolution of Forming Planets: Isotope Enrichment, Differentiation & Volatile Retention. Dr.sc. ETH Zurich, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (05/2018). pdf
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Tim Lichtenberg, Modeling gravitational instabilities in compact and massive protoplanetary disks with adaptive mesh refinement techniques. M.Sc. Physics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany (2014). pdf
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Tim Lichtenberg, Constraining Exoplanet Characteristics with Asteroseismology. B.Sc. Physics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany (2012). pdf
Let's work together
If you have a research idea or are interested in data or methods from the above articles or related research themes please do get in touch. We are always open to brainstorm new research ideas or discuss the potential for collaborations.