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Darius Modirrousta-Galian/ Tenure-track Fellow
Astronomy and Astrophysics Division
S518 modirrousta-galian@sjtu.edu.cn https://modirrousta-galian.com/
I am an astrophysicist and planetary scientist specializing in super-Earths, sub-Neptunes, and their interactions with host stars. My research integrates atmospheric science, geophysics, and astrophysics to develop theoretical models that help explain observed planetary phenomena. I am interested in tackling questions that remain unresolved.

Educational Background

  • 2018- 2022, Università degli Studi di Palermo , Ph.D
  • 2017- 2018, University College London , M.Sc
  • 2014- 2017, University College London , B.Sc

Work Experience

  • 2025-Now, Tsung-Dao Lee Fellow, Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China,
  • 2025-Now, Associate Professor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China,
  • 2021-2025, Postdoctoral Associate, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States,

Research Interests

  • Planet/Exoplanet interiors
  • Planet/Exoplanet atmospheres
  • Planet/Exoplanet formations

Representative Papers And Monographs

  • Modirrousta-Galian, D. & Korenaga, J., (in press). On the efficacy of ocean formation with a primordial hydrogen atmosphere. J Geophys Res Planets.
  • Modirrousta-Galian, D., Spinelli, R. and Jimenez-Escobar, A., (2024). Windows Into Other Worlds: Pitfalls in the physical interpretation of exoplanet atmospheric spectroscopy. Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italiana, 95, 93.
  • Modirrousta-Galian, D., Korenaga, J., (2024). The diffusion limit of photoevaporation in primordial planetary atmospheres. The Astrophysical Journal, 965, 97.
  • Modirrousta-Galian, D., Korenaga, J., (2023). The three regimes of atmospheric evaporation for super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. The Astrophysical Journal, 943, 11.
  • Mugnai, L., Modirrousta-Galian, D., (2022). RAPOC: The Rosseland and Planck opacity converter: A user-friendly and fast opacity program for Python. Experimental Astronomy, doi:10.1007/s10686-022-09869-2.
  • Modirrousta-Galian, D., Maddalena, G., (2021). Of aliens and exoplanets: Why the search for life, probably, requires the search for water. Journal of the British Interplanetary Society 74, 238–242.
  • Mugnai, L., Modirrousta-Galian, D., Edwards, B., Changeat, Q., Bouwman, J., Morello, G., Al-Refaie, A., Baeyens, R., Bieger, M., Blain, D., Gressier, A., Guilluy, G., Jaziri, Y., Kiefer, F., Morvan, M., Pluriel, W., Poveda, M., Skaf, N., Whiteford, N., Wright, S., Yip, K., Zingales, T., Charnay, B., Drossart, P., Leconte, J., Venot, O., Waldmann, I. and Beaulieu, J., (2021). ARES.* V. No evidence for molecular absorption in the HST WFC3 spectrum of GJ 1132 b. The Astronomical Journal, 161, 284.
  • Benatti, S., Damasso, M., Borsa, F., Locci, D., Pillitteri, I., Desidera, S., Maggio, A., Micela, G., Wolk, S., Claudi, R., Malavolta, L. and Modirrousta-Galian, D., (2021). Constraints on the mass and on the atmospheric composition and evolution of the low-density young planet DS Tucanae A b. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 650, A66.
  • Modirrousta-Galian, D., Ito, Y. and Micela, G., (2021). Exploring super-Earth surfaces: Albedo of near-airless magma ocean planets and topography. Icarus, 358, 114175.
  • Guilluy, G., Gressier, A., Wright, S., Santerne, A., Jaziri, A.Y., Edwards, B., Changeat, Q., Modirrousta-Galian, D., Skaf, N., Al-Refaie, A., Baeyens, R., Bieger, M.F., Blain, D., Kiefer, F., Morvan, M., Mugnai, L.V., Pluriel, W., Poveda, M., Zingales, T., Whiteford, N., Yip, K.H., Charnay, B., Leconte, J., Drossart, P., Sozzetti, A., Marcq, E., Tsiaras, A., Venot, O., Waldmann, I. and Beaulieu, J.-P. (2020). ARES IV: Probing the atmospheres of the two warm small planets HD 106315c and HD 3167c with the HST/WFC3 camera. The Astronomical Journal, 161, 19.
  • Modirrousta-Galian, D., Stelzer, B., Magaudda, E., Maldonado, J., Güdel, M., Sanz Forcada, J., Edwards, B. and Micela, G., (2020). GJ 357 b. A super-Earth orbiting an extremely inactive host star. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 641, A113.
  • Pluriel, W., Whiteford, N., Edwards, B., Changeat, Q., Yip, K., Baeyens, R., Al-Refaie, A., Fabienne Bieger, M., Blain, D., Gressier, A., Guilluy, G., Yassin Jaziri, A., Kiefer, F., Modirrousta-Galian, D., Morvan, M., Mugnai, L., Poveda, M., Skaf, N., Zingales, T., Wright, S., Charnay, B., Drossart, P., Leconte, J., Tsiaras, A., Venot, O., Waldmann, I. and Beaulieu, J., (2020). ARES. III. Unveiling the two faces of KELT-7 b with HST WFC3. The Astronomical Journal, 160, 112.
  • Skaf, N., Bieger, M., Edwards, B., Changeat, Q., Morvan, M., Kiefer, F., Blain, D., Zingales, T., Poveda, M., Al-Refaie, A., Baeyens, R., Gressier, A., Guilluy, G., Jaziri, A., Modirrousta-Galian, D., Mugnai, L., Pluriel, W., Whiteford, N., Wright, S., Yip, K., Charnay, B., Leconte, J., Drossart, P., Tsiaras, A., Venot, O., Waldmann, I. and Beaulieu, J., (2020). ARES. II. Characterizing the hot Jupiters WASP-127 b, WASP-79 b, and WASP-62b with the Hubble Space Telescope. The Astronomical Journal, 160, 109.
  • Edwards, B., Changeat, Q., Baeyens, R., Tsiaras, A., Al-Refaie, A., Taylor, J., Yip, K.H., Bieger, M.F., Blain, D., Gressier, A., Guilluy, G., Jaziri, A.Y., Kiefer, F., Modirrousta-Galian, D., Morvan, M., Mugnai, L.V., Pluriel, W., Poveda, M., Skaf, N., Whiteford, N., Wright, S., Zingales, T., Charnay, B., Drossart, P., Leconte, J., Venot, O., Waldmann, I. and Beaulieu, J.-P. (2020). ARES I: WASP-76 b, a tale of two HST spectra. The Astronomical Journal, 160, 8.
  • Modirrousta-Galian, D., Locci, D. and Micela, G. (2020). The bimodal distribution in exoplanet radii: considering varying core compositions and H2 envelope’s sizes. The Astrophysical Journal, 891, 158.
  • Modirrousta-Galian, D., Locci, D., Tinetti, G. and Micela, G. (2020). Hot super-Earths with hydrogen atmospheres: A model explaining their paradoxical existence. The Astrophysical Journal, 888, 87.