Tad Komacek
@tadkomacek.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Physics of Exoplanet Atmospheres in the Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Planetary Physics sub-Department of the Department of Physics and Tutorial Fellow of Somerville College at the University of Oxford, UK.
Impressive work, Richard!
Congratulations to Dr Richard Chatterjee who just successfully defended his DPhil! I’m so proud of him! He is a rockstar and is revolutionising our understanding of atmospheric escape. Here’s to more science together 💜
October 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Impressive work, Richard!
Acquiring a white bowtie has been on my to-do list since the last viva I served as an internal examiner for! I'll be sure to get one by @nichollsh.bsky.social's viva in January.
Congratulations to Dr. Richard Chatterjee, my DPhil student who passed his viva on atmospheric escape today and is off to a position at Leeds. (Me on the left, his examiners Garcia-Muñoz and Tad Komacek on the right -- Tad and Richard are in the traditional subfusc, except should be white tie)
October 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Acquiring a white bowtie has been on my to-do list since the last viva I served as an internal examiner for! I'll be sure to get one by @nichollsh.bsky.social's viva in January.
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Dr. Anjali Piette of the University of Birmingham gave a wonderful talk on connecting sub-Neptune atmospheres to their interiors as a part of the BOWIE+ Seminar Series. The video is now available on Youtube. #exoplanets #astronomy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHrT...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHrT...
Demystifying the Sub-Neptune Frontier with JWST by Anjali Piette
YouTube video by BOWIE+ Seminars
www.youtube.com
September 26, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Dr. Anjali Piette of the University of Birmingham gave a wonderful talk on connecting sub-Neptune atmospheres to their interiors as a part of the BOWIE+ Seminar Series. The video is now available on Youtube. #exoplanets #astronomy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHrT...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHrT...
Really enjoying Dr. Shreyas Vissapragada's @carnegiescience.bsky.social seminar on three population-level surveys of atmospheric escape @oxoplanets.bsky.social!
September 23, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Really enjoying Dr. Shreyas Vissapragada's @carnegiescience.bsky.social seminar on three population-level surveys of atmospheric escape @oxoplanets.bsky.social!
Very exciting and well deserved @ntlewis.bsky.social, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you find!
Thrilled to share that I’ve been awarded a 3 year Leverhulme ECF!
I’ll use global modeling with high-res regional ‘nests’ to take a closer look at Jupiter’s polar vortices.
As part of the project, I’ll incorporate this functionality into Isca (via a new dynamical core).
Very excited to begin!
I’ll use global modeling with high-res regional ‘nests’ to take a closer look at Jupiter’s polar vortices.
As part of the project, I’ll incorporate this functionality into Isca (via a new dynamical core).
Very excited to begin!
In this groundbreaking project, Early Career Fellow @ntlewis.bsky.social @exeter.ac.uk, employs techniques from terrestrial meteorology and draws together contrasting theories to form a holistic view of Jovian polar atmospheric dynamics. www.flipsnack.com/leverhulmetr...
September 21, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Very exciting and well deserved @ntlewis.bsky.social, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you find!
I'm looking forward to the groundbreaking on Tuesday!
Somerville College’s proposed new Ratan Tata Building, in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, has been given planning permission by Oxford City Council. The building will be mostly teaching and learning space with tutor offices, study space and seminar rooms.
September 20, 2025 at 9:15 PM
I'm looking forward to the groundbreaking on Tuesday!
Reposted by Tad Komacek
As a part of the launch of the BOWIE+ Seminar Series, Dr. Ryan MacDonald (@distantworlds.space) gave a great overview of our current understanding of rocky worlds thanks to JWST. The talk is now up on Youtube if you're interested. #exoplanets #astronomy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN3y...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN3y...
Atmospheres on Rocky Exoplanets by Ryan Macdonald
YouTube video by BOWIE+ Seminars
www.youtube.com
September 14, 2025 at 8:55 AM
As a part of the launch of the BOWIE+ Seminar Series, Dr. Ryan MacDonald (@distantworlds.space) gave a great overview of our current understanding of rocky worlds thanks to JWST. The talk is now up on Youtube if you're interested. #exoplanets #astronomy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN3y...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hN3y...
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Great article from the Simons Foundation about the open source MESA stellar evolution code, which has a had a huge impact on astrophysics over the past 15 years.
I had not heard that the code's architect, software guru Bill Paxton, had passed away in July.
www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/08/12/a...
I had not heard that the code's architect, software guru Bill Paxton, had passed away in July.
www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/08/12/a...
A Stellar Revolution: How Open-Source Tool MESA Changed the Way We Study Stars
A Stellar Revolution: How Open-Source Tool MESA Changed the Way We Study Stars on Simons Foundation
www.simonsfoundation.org
September 10, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Great article from the Simons Foundation about the open source MESA stellar evolution code, which has a had a huge impact on astrophysics over the past 15 years.
I had not heard that the code's architect, software guru Bill Paxton, had passed away in July.
www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/08/12/a...
I had not heard that the code's architect, software guru Bill Paxton, had passed away in July.
www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/08/12/a...
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Registration is open now for our fall workshop on Atmospheric Escape and Replenishment in Planetary Systems!
🔭 #exoplanets
🔭 #exoplanets
Abstracts close this Friday for the Fall 2025 STScI Science Workshop on Atmospheric Escape and Replenishment. We'd love to see you in Baltimore in November!
Check it out and let me know if you've any questions. 🔭 #exoplanets
www.stsci.edu/contents/eve...
Check it out and let me know if you've any questions. 🔭 #exoplanets
www.stsci.edu/contents/eve...
Atmospheric Escape and Replenishment in Planetary Systems Workshop
www.stsci.edu
September 10, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Registration is open now for our fall workshop on Atmospheric Escape and Replenishment in Planetary Systems!
🔭 #exoplanets
🔭 #exoplanets
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Predictions of climate change are uncertain. That’s why we need to keep finding out how our atmosphere works, says Tim Palmer
go.nature.com/414QrVV
go.nature.com/414QrVV
Just how bad will climate change get? The only way to know is to fund basic research
Predictions of climate change are uncertain. That’s why we need to keep finding out how our atmosphere works.
go.nature.com
August 13, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Predictions of climate change are uncertain. That’s why we need to keep finding out how our atmosphere works, says Tim Palmer
go.nature.com/414QrVV
go.nature.com/414QrVV
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Two postdoc jobs available on our Arctic Butterflies project! (Not actual butterflies - basically Arctic dynamics and predictability - the butterfly effect in the Arctic...)
Oxford job: tinyurl.com/yc6h4b35
Reading job: tinyurl.com/ypn75jh2
Please help spread the word!
Oxford job: tinyurl.com/yc6h4b35
Reading job: tinyurl.com/ypn75jh2
Please help spread the word!
Job Details
tinyurl.com
August 14, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Two postdoc jobs available on our Arctic Butterflies project! (Not actual butterflies - basically Arctic dynamics and predictability - the butterfly effect in the Arctic...)
Oxford job: tinyurl.com/yc6h4b35
Reading job: tinyurl.com/ypn75jh2
Please help spread the word!
Oxford job: tinyurl.com/yc6h4b35
Reading job: tinyurl.com/ypn75jh2
Please help spread the word!
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Job alert: we are looking for a postdoc to join the Atmospheric Dynamics group in Oxford to study Arctic atmospheric dynamics. The focus is on energy transfers between scales and implications for predictability. More details here: tinyurl.com/yc6h4b35
Job Details
tinyurl.com
July 29, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Job alert: we are looking for a postdoc to join the Atmospheric Dynamics group in Oxford to study Arctic atmospheric dynamics. The focus is on energy transfers between scales and implications for predictability. More details here: tinyurl.com/yc6h4b35
Reposted by Tad Komacek
In our now-published paper we model the early history of three exoplanets to specifically study the role of tidal heating on their capacity to solidify. A physically robust feedback mechanism can keep them molten, even with relatively thin atmospheres, which may extend to lots of rocky exoplanets.
Published in #MNRAS: "Self-limited tidal heating and prolonged magma oceans in the L 98-59 system", Nicholls et al. This is Fig. 1: for the caption & to read the paper please visit academic.oup.com/mnras/articl... @oxfordacademic.bsky.social @royalastrosoc.bsky.social
July 25, 2025 at 9:04 AM
In our now-published paper we model the early history of three exoplanets to specifically study the role of tidal heating on their capacity to solidify. A physically robust feedback mechanism can keep them molten, even with relatively thin atmospheres, which may extend to lots of rocky exoplanets.
Reposted by Tad Komacek
My paper with Tom Evans-Soma and Nathan Mayne on magnetic drag models is now accepted and up on the arXiv. For a quick summary, look at the PDF of my Exoclimes poster that I shared last week.
www.arxiv.org/abs/2507.08511
www.arxiv.org/abs/2507.08511
Geometric Considerations in Hot Jupiter Magnetic Drag Models
Magnetic fields are expected to impact the atmospheric dynamics of hot and ultra-hot Jupiters due to their increased ionization fractions, compared to that of cooler exoplanets, but our ability to mod...
www.arxiv.org
July 14, 2025 at 7:43 AM
My paper with Tom Evans-Soma and Nathan Mayne on magnetic drag models is now accepted and up on the arXiv. For a quick summary, look at the PDF of my Exoclimes poster that I shared last week.
www.arxiv.org/abs/2507.08511
www.arxiv.org/abs/2507.08511
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Do you want to work with me as a postdoc? The 51 Pegasi b fellowship is now open for applications heisingsimons.app.box.com/s/y8jg5tbsbd... This is one of the highest profile and most effective fellowships for early-career scientists studying exoplanets. (Read on for important news)...
51 Pegasi b Guidelines and Application.pdf | Powered by Box
heisingsimons.app.box.com
July 13, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Do you want to work with me as a postdoc? The 51 Pegasi b fellowship is now open for applications heisingsimons.app.box.com/s/y8jg5tbsbd... This is one of the highest profile and most effective fellowships for early-career scientists studying exoplanets. (Read on for important news)...
Reposted by Tad Komacek
See also my explainer thread below!
bsky.app/profile/nich...
bsky.app/profile/nich...
In our new paper we model the complete evolution of L 98-59 d from 'birth' up to the present day. We show that it cannot be a gas dwarf or a water world; it's a 'hybrid' planet with an H2-rich atmosphere containing H2S and SO2 (photochemistry!), and a deep magma ocean.
@timlichtenberg.bsky.social
@timlichtenberg.bsky.social
New paper on the molten Super-Earth L98-59d by @nichollsh.bsky.social in our group. arxiv.org/abs/2507.02656
July 4, 2025 at 3:11 PM
See also my explainer thread below!
bsky.app/profile/nich...
bsky.app/profile/nich...
Reposted by Tad Komacek
New paper on the molten Super-Earth L98-59d by @nichollsh.bsky.social in our group. arxiv.org/abs/2507.02656
Volatile-rich evolution of molten super-Earth L 98-59 d
Small low-density exoplanets are sculpted by strong stellar irradiation but their origin is unknown. Two competing scenarios are that they formed either with rocky interiors and H2-He atmospheres (`ga...
arxiv.org
July 4, 2025 at 1:56 PM
New paper on the molten Super-Earth L98-59d by @nichollsh.bsky.social in our group. arxiv.org/abs/2507.02656
Reposted by Tad Komacek
everything is terrible except for this
Did you know Wisconsin has a State Soil? It's Antigo Silt Loam, and the soil scientist F.T. Hole wrote a song in its honor. Here is my first attempt at a cover of the tune.
July 3, 2025 at 10:39 PM
everything is terrible except for this
I recommend giving this paper by @jiachenliu.bsky.social, @astroduncan.bsky.social, and Jun Yang a close read: arxiv.org/abs/2506.23891. Sub-Neptunes like K2-18b lie in an interesting regime where both the radiative feedback and mixing of chemical tracers is important, I’m looking forward to Part 2!
Three-dimensional Transport-induced Chemistry on Temperate sub-Neptune K2-18b, Part I: the Effects of Atmospheric Dynamics
The low equilibrium temperatures of temperate sub-Neptunes lead to extremely long chemical timescales in their upper atmospheres, causing the abundances of chemical species to be strongly shaped by at...
arxiv.org
July 1, 2025 at 2:25 PM
I recommend giving this paper by @jiachenliu.bsky.social, @astroduncan.bsky.social, and Jun Yang a close read: arxiv.org/abs/2506.23891. Sub-Neptunes like K2-18b lie in an interesting regime where both the radiative feedback and mixing of chemical tracers is important, I’m looking forward to Part 2!
Reposted by Tad Komacek
So very excited to see our collaboration with Nature Astronomy out today on #Juneteenth. These articles for #BlackSpaceWeek2025 were labors of love and I encourage folks to check them all out!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
June 19, 2025 at 9:05 PM
So very excited to see our collaboration with Nature Astronomy out today on #Juneteenth. These articles for #BlackSpaceWeek2025 were labors of love and I encourage folks to check them all out!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
My 15th Science Olympiad National tournament as part of the Astronomy event led by the fearless Donna Young — as usual, we’re hard at work proctoring and marking 60 exams, making it as fun as possible for the students (and ourselves!).
May 24, 2025 at 6:20 PM
My 15th Science Olympiad National tournament as part of the Astronomy event led by the fearless Donna Young — as usual, we’re hard at work proctoring and marking 60 exams, making it as fun as possible for the students (and ourselves!).
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Here's my follow-up story on K2-18b, the distant planet where scientists claimed to see a possible sign of life last month. In three preprints, other researcher argue that the signal is noise. nyti.ms/4jaqQRv
There’s Probably No Life on K2-18b After All, Three Studies Conclude
In April, astronomers said they had detected a possible signature of life on the exoplanet K2-18b. Now, three independent analyses discount the evidence.
nyti.ms
May 23, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Here's my follow-up story on K2-18b, the distant planet where scientists claimed to see a possible sign of life last month. In three preprints, other researcher argue that the signal is noise. nyti.ms/4jaqQRv
Next, let's have wild camping become legal in every UK national park!
This is such good news. My first views of a dark sky came when camping on Dartmoor.
Wild camping on Dartmoor is legal, supreme court rules
May 21, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Next, let's have wild camping become legal in every UK national park!
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Interesting paper by Yang et al. on arxiv today arguing clouds might _help_ us observe O2/O3 on exoplanets in some cases:
arxiv.org/pdf/2505.07760
arxiv.org/pdf/2505.07760
arxiv.org
May 13, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Interesting paper by Yang et al. on arxiv today arguing clouds might _help_ us observe O2/O3 on exoplanets in some cases:
arxiv.org/pdf/2505.07760
arxiv.org/pdf/2505.07760
Reposted by Tad Komacek
Exciting PhD opportunity at @exeter.ac.uk: Forecasting Martian Dust Storms (funded by @ukspaceagency.bsky.social)! Please share widely!
More details: www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
More details: www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
March 26, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Exciting PhD opportunity at @exeter.ac.uk: Forecasting Martian Dust Storms (funded by @ukspaceagency.bsky.social)! Please share widely!
More details: www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...
More details: www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...