Publications
Peer-reviewed publications and preprints from the Forming Worlds Lab on rocky planet evolution, magma oceans, exoplanet atmospheres, and early Earth habitability.
Research Articles
Preprints
Calder R, O Shorttle, H Nicholls, T Lichtenberg, CM Guimond. Most Rocky Sub-Neptunes are Molten: Mapping the Solidification Shoreline for Gas Dwarf Exoplanets. pdf
Lichtenberg T, L Schaefer, J Krissansen-Totton, Y Miguel, DE Sergeev, P Baumeister, J Cmiel, LJ Janssen, TG Nguyen, Y Miyazaki, H Nicholls, A Papesh, H Pelissard, B Peng, J Perez, E Postolec, M Sastre et al. Coupled atmospHere Interior modeL Intercomparison (CHILI) Protocol Version 1.0: A CUISINES Intercomparison Project of Magma Ocean Models. pdf
van Dijk MR, H Nicholls, T Lichtenberg. Onset of habitable conditions on the Hadean Earth set by feedback between tides and greenhouse forcing. pdf
Nicholls H, T Lichtenberg, RD Chatterjee, CM Guimond, E Postolec, RT Pierrehumbert. Volatile-rich evolution of molten super-Earth L 98-59 d. pdf
Published & Accepted
Kimura T, T Lichtenberg. Water enrichment of forming sub-Neptune envelopes limited by oxygen exhaustion. The Astrophysical Journal (2026). pdf
Meier TG, CM Guimond, RT Pierrehumbert, J Birkby, RD Chatterjee, CE Fisher, GJ Golabek, M Hammond, TD Komacek, T Lichtenberg, A McGinty, E Meier Valdés, H Nicholls, LT Parker, RJ Spaargaren, PJ Tackley. Mantle Convection and Nightside Volcanism on Lava World K2-141 b. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2026). pdf
Nixon MC, S Sander Somers, AB Savel, J Ih, EMR Kempton, ED Young, HE Schlichting, T Lichtenberg, L Welbanks, W Misener, AAA Piette, NF Wogan. Magma ocean interactions can explain JWST observations of the sub-Neptune TOI-270 d. The Astrophysical Journal 995, 95 (2025). pdf
Teske JK, NL Wallack, AAA Piette, L Dang, T Lichtenberg, M Plotnykov, RT Pierrehumbert, E Postolec, et al. A Thick Volatile Atmosphere on the Ultra-Hot Super-Earth TOI-561 b. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 995, L39 (2025). pdf
Nicholls H, CM Guimond, CFC Hay, RD Chatterjee, T Lichtenberg, RT Pierrehumbert. Self-limited tidal heating and prolonged magma oceans in the L 98-59 system. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 541, 2566–2584 (2025). pdf
Apai D, R Barnes, MM Murphy, T Lichtenberg et al. A Terminology and Quantitative Framework for Assessing the Habitability of Solar System and Extraterrestrial Worlds. The Planetary Science Journal 6, 165 (2025). pdf
Boer ID, H Nicholls, T Lichtenberg. Absence of a Runaway Greenhouse Limit on Lava Planets. The Astrophysical Journal 987, 172 (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 987, 24 (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
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
Nicholls H, T Lichtenberg, DJ Bower, RT Pierrehumbert. Magma ocean evolution at arbitrary redox state. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 129, 2024JE008576 (2024). pdf
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Lichtenberg T, MS Clement. Reduced late bombardment on rocky exoplanets around M-dwarfs. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 938, L3 (2022). video, pdf
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
Dannert F et al. (incl. TL). Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): II. Astronomy & Astrophysics 664, A22 (2022). pdf
Quanz SP et al. (incl. TL). Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE): I. Astronomy & Astrophysics 664, A21 (2022). pdf, video, news
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
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
Dorn C, T Lichtenberg. Hidden water in magma ocean exoplanets. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 922, L4 (2021). pdf
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
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
Lichtenberg T. Redox hysteresis of super-Earth exoplanets from magma ocean circulation. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 914, L4 (2021). pdf, blog
Lichtenberg T, S Krijt. System-level fractionation of carbon from disk and planetesimal processing. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 913, L20 (2021). pdf, blog
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, blog
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, blog
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, blog
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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, O Shorttle, J Teske, EMR Kempton. Constraining exoplanet interiors using observations of their atmospheres. Science 390, eads3660 (2025). pdf
Lichtenberg T, Y Miguel. Super-Earths and Earth-like Exoplanets. Treatise on Geochemistry, 3rd edition (2025). pdf
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
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
TRAPPIST-1 JWST Community Initiative (incl. TL). A roadmap for the atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets with JWST. Nature Astronomy 8, 810–818 (2024). pdf
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
Quanz SP et al. (incl. TL). Atmospheric characterization of terrestrial exoplanets in the mid-infrared: biosignatures, habitability & diversity. ESA Voyage 2050 White Paper (2019). pdf
Line M et al. (incl. TL). The Importance of Thermal Emission Spectroscopy for Understanding Terrestrial Exoplanets. Astro2020, BAAS 51, 3, 271 (2019). pdf
Lyra W et al. (incl. TL). Planet formation — The case for large efforts on the computational side. Astro2020, BAAS 51, 3, 129 (2019). pdf
Khullar G et al. (incl. TL). Astrobites as a Community-led Model for Education, Science Communication, and Accessibility in Astrophysics. Astro2020, BAAS 51, 7, 230 (2019). pdf
Numerical Methods & Instrumentation
Nicholls H, RT Pierrehumbert, T Lichtenberg. AGNI: A radiative-convective model for lava planet atmospheres. Journal of Open Source Software 10, 7726 (2025). pdf
Rauer et al. (incl. TL). The PLATO mission. Experimental Astronomy 59, 26 (2025). pdf
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
Harrison Nicholls, What happened to rocky planets? An atmosphere-interior perspective from numerical modelling. DPhil thesis. Department of Physics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom (01/2026), co-supervised. pdf
Jorick Lania, Forging Planets: Exploring the magma-ocean geochemistry of Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes. M.Sc. thesis. Department of Physics, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2025).
Karen Stuitje, The Cosmic Shoreline: Modelling Bare-rock Surfaces and Atmospheres on Rocky M-dwarf Exoplanets. B.Sc. thesis. Department of Physics, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2025).
Flavia C. Pascal, Modelling the Interior Structure of Rocky Exoplanets with Zalmoxis. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2025).
Marijn R. van Dijk, Tidally supported Hadean Magma Oceans under Secondary Atmospheres: Implications for the Production of Life’s Building Blocks. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2025).
Marguerite (Anvel) de Sainte Marie d’Agneaux, Timescale of ocean formation and their composition on Earth-like exoplanets. B.Sc. thesis. Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (07/2025).
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).
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).
Beat Hubmann, Hydrology of Planetesimals. M.Sc. thesis (co-supervised). Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (09/2022).
Madeleine R. Müller, Percolative core formation in terrestrial planetesimals and protoplanets. B.Sc. thesis (co-supervised). Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (06/2019).
Tim Lichtenberg, Thermal Evolution of Forming Planets: Isotope Enrichment, Differentiation & Volatile Retention. Dr.sc. ETH Zurich, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (05/2018). pdf
Irene Bonati, Quantitative Predictions for the Observability of Protoplanetary Collisions. M.Sc. thesis (co-supervised). Department of Earth Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (09/2017).
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
Tim Lichtenberg, Constraining Exoplanet Characteristics with Asteroseismology. B.Sc. Physics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany (2012). pdf