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Research Articles

Hammond M, CM GuimondT Lichtenberg, H Nicholls, et al. Reliable Detections of Atmospheres on Rocky Exoplanets with Photometric JWST Phase Curves. Submitted to AAS Journals. 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 (2025). 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

 

Cesario L, T Lichtenberg et al. Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE). XIV. Finding terrestrial protoplanets in the galactic neighborhood. Astronomy & Astrophysics (2024). pdf

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Meier TG, DJ Bower, T Lichtenberg, M Hammond, PJ Tackley, RT Pierrehumbert, JA Caballero, S-M Tsai, M Weiner Mansfield, N Tosi, P Baumeister. 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). pdfvideo

 

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 BirnstielLeaky dust traps: How fragmentation impacts dust filtering by planets. Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters 670, L5(2023). pdf

 

Bonsor A, T Lichtenberg, J Drążkowska, AM BuchanRapid 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). videopdf

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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. TLLarge 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. TLLarge 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 LichtenbergHidden 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 TRedox 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). pdfblog 

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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

Menti F et al. (incl. TL). Database of Candidate Targets for the LIFE Mission. Research Notes of the AAS, 8, 267 (2024). pdf

 

Rauer et al. (incl. TLThe PLATO mission. Mission status update (2024). pdf

 

TRAPPIST-1 JWST Community Initiative (incl. TLA roadmap for the atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets with JWST. Nature Astronomy Perspective (2024). pdf

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Meadows V et al. (incl. TLCommunity Report from the Biosignatures Standards of Evidence Workshop. Workshop Report (2022). pdf

 

Helled R et al. (incl. TLAriel Planetary Interiors White Paper. Experimental Astronomy 53, 323-356 (2022). pdf

 

Tinetti G et al. (incl. TLAriel: Enabling planetary science across light-years. ESA Ariel Definition Study Report (2021). pdf

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Quanz SP et al. (incl. TLAtmospheric 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. TLThe 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. TLPlanet 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. TLAstrobites 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 KoopsRock-vapour species in lava exoplanet atmospheres. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2024).

 

Iris BoerRedox dependency of the runaway greenhouse limit. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2024).

 

Jessica HelmerhorstThe 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 BartelsMagma oceanography of GJ 367 b. M.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (06/2024).

 

Marijn SmorenburgVolcanic climate change on hot terrestrial exoplanets. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2023).

 

Lucas PrioletDistinguishing surface features on rocky exoplanets. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2023).

 

Lorenzo CesarioDetecting Cooling Protoplanets with Next-Generation Surveys. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2023).

 

Boyd van der PlaatThe 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 LichtenbergThermal Evolution of Forming Planets: Isotope Enrichment, Differentiation & Volatile Retention. Dr.sc. ETH Zurich, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (05/2018). pdf 

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Tim LichtenbergModeling 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 LichtenbergConstraining Exoplanet Characteristics with Asteroseismology. B.Sc. Physics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany (2012). pdf

Abstract Planet

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.

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