activity
20172026
most citedHaze Production in the Atmospheres of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes: Insights from the Lab

128 citations · 739 across the 27 of their papers we have counts for

collaborators

28 papers

astro-ph.EP2026

A Cross-Laboratory Comparison Study of Titan Haze Analogs: Surface Energy II

Eric C. Austin, Xinting Yu, Chao He +10

The organic haze particles on Titan play important roles in atmospheric cloud formation and aerosol-lake interactions. These processes are strongly influenced by the surface energy…

astro-ph.EP2026

Ultraviolet Radiation Effects on the Optical Properties of Water-Dominated Exoplanet Hazes

Lori Huseby, Sarah E. Moran, Tiffany Kataria +8

Temperate sub-Neptune and terrestrial exoplanets could contain large inventories of water in various phases, such as water-dominated atmospheres or even oceans. Observations have s…

physics.chem-ph2025★ 5 cited

How CO Affects the Composition of Titan's Tholins Generated with ECR Plasma

Zhengbo Yang, Yu Liu, Chao He +5

Titan's atmosphere possesses thick haze layers, but their formation mechanisms remain poorly understood, including the influence of oxygen-containing gas components on organic matt…

astro-ph.EP2025

Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on Sub-Neptune Exoplanet Hazes Through Laboratory Experiments

Lori Huseby, Sarah E. Moran, Neil Pearson +9

Temperate sub-Neptune exoplanets could contain large inventories of water in various phases, such as water-worlds with water-rich atmospheres or even oceans. Both space-based and g…

astro-ph.IM2024★ 6 cited

Towards Prebiotic Chemistry on Titan: Impact experiments on organic haze particles

Ben K. D. Pearce, Sarah M. Hörst, Christopher J. Cline +7

Impacts are critical to producing the aqueous environments necessary to stimulate prebiotic chemistry on Titan's surface. Furthermore, organic hazes resting on the surface are a li…

astro-ph.EP2024★ 16 cited

Organic hazes as a source of life's building blocks to warm little ponds on the Hadean Earth

Ben K. D. Pearce, Sarah M Hörst, Joshua A. Sebree +1

Over 4 billion years ago, Earth is thought to have been a hazy world akin to Saturn's moon Titan. The organic hazes in the atmosphere at this time could contain a vast inventory of…

astro-ph.EP2023★ 34 cited

Optical Properties of Organic Haze Analogues in Water-rich Exoplanet Atmospheres Observable with JWST

Chao He, Michael Radke, Sarah E. Moran +9

JWST has begun its scientific mission, which includes the atmospheric characterization of transiting exoplanets. Some of the first exoplanets to be observed by JWST have equilibriu…

astro-ph.EP2022

Titan Atmospheric Chemistry Revealed by Low-temperature N2-CH4 Plasma Discharge Experiments

Chao He, Joseph Serigano, Sarah M. Horst +2

Chemistry in Titan's N2-CH4 atmosphere produces complex organic aerosols. The chemical processes and the resulting organic compounds are still far from understood, although extensi…

astro-ph.EP2022★ 20 cited

An experimental and theoretical investigation of HCN production in the Hadean Earth atmosphere

Ben K. D. Pearce, Chao He, Sarah M. Hörst

A critical early stage for the origin of life on Earth may have involved the production of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) in a reducing, predominantly H atmosphere. HCN is crucial for…

astro-ph.EP2021★ 17 cited

Triton Haze Analogues: the Role of Carbon Monoxide in Haze Formation

Sarah E. Moran, Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He +7

Triton is the largest moon of the Neptune system and possesses a thin nitrogen atmosphere with trace amounts of carbon monoxide and methane, making it of similar composition to tha…

astro-ph.EP2021

Optical Constants of Titan Haze Analogue from 0.4 to 3.5 μm: Determined Using Vacuum Spectroscopy

Chao He, Sarah M. Horst, Michael Radke +1

Titan's thick atmosphere is primarily composed of nitrogen and methane. Complex chemistry happening in Titan's atmosphere produces optically thick organic hazes. These hazes play s…

astro-ph.IM2021

A Cross-Laboratory Comparison Study of Titan Haze Analogs: Surface Energy

Jialin Li, Xinting Yu, Ella Sciamma-O'Brien +5

In Titan's nitrogen-methane atmosphere, photochemistry leads to the production of complex organic particles, forming Titan's thick haze layers. Laboratory-produced aerosol analogs,…

astro-ph.EP2021★ 52 cited

Haze Evolution in Temperate Exoplanet Atmospheres Through Surface Energy Measurements

Xinting Yu, Chao He, Xi Zhang +13

Photochemical hazes are important opacity sources in temperate exoplanet atmospheres, hindering current observations from characterizing exoplanet atmospheric compositions. The haz…

astro-ph.EP2020★ 32 cited

Surface Energy of the Titan Aerosol Analog "Tholin"

Xinting Yu, Sarah Horst, Chao He +3

The photochemical haze produced in the upper atmosphere of Titan plays a key role in various atmospheric and surface processes on Titan. The surface energy, one important physical…

astro-ph.EP2020★ 3 cited

Haze Formation in Warm H2-rich Exoplanet Atmospheres

Chao He, Sarah M. Horst, Nikole K. Lewis +8

New observing capabilities coming online over the next few years will provide opportunities for characterization of exoplanet atmospheres. However, clouds/hazes could be present in…

astro-ph.IM2020

The Importance of Prioritizing Exoplanet Experimental Facilities

Erika Kohler, Chao He, Sarah E. Moran +9

Continuous improvements of observations and modeling efforts have led to tremendous strides in exoplanetary science. However, as instruments and techniques advance laboratory data…

astro-ph.EP2020★ 14 cited

Compositional Measurements of Saturn's Upper Atmosphere and Rings from Cassini INMS

J. Serigano, S. M. Hörst, C. He +4

The Cassini spacecraft's last orbits directly sampled Saturn's thermosphere and revealed a much more chemically complex environment than previously believed. Observations from the…

astro-ph.EP2020★ 56 cited

Chemistry of Temperate Super-Earth and Mini-Neptune Atmospheric Hazes from Laboratory Experiments

Sarah E. Moran, Sarah M. Hörst, Véronique Vuitton +12

Very little experimental work has been done to explore the properties of photochemical hazes formed in atmospheres with very different compositions or temperatures than that of the…

astro-ph.EP2020★ 64 cited

Sulfur-driven Haze Formation in Warm CO2-rich Exoplanet Atmospheres

Chao He, Sarah M. Horst, Nikole K. Lewis +8

Sulfur gases significantly affect the photochemistry of planetary atmospheres in our Solar System, and are expected to be important components in exoplanet atmospheres. However, su…

astro-ph.EP2019★ 10 cited

Single particle triboelectrification of Titan sand analogs

Xinting Yu, Sarah M. Horst, Chao He +1

Sand electrification is important for aeolian sediment transportation on terrestrial bodies with silicate sand as the main sediment composition. However, it has not been thoroughly…

astro-ph.EP2018★ 1 cited

Gas Phase Chemistry of Cool Exoplanet Atmospheres: Insight from Laboratory Simulations

Chao He, Sarah M. Hörst, Nikole K. Lewis +6

Photochemistry induced by stellar UV flux should produce haze particles in exoplanet atmospheres. Recent observations indicate that haze and/or cloud layers exist in the atmosphere…

astro-ph.EP2018★ 29 cited

Where does Titan Sand Come From: Insight from Mechanical Properties of Titan Sand Candidates

Xinting Yu, Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He +2

Extensive equatorial linear dunes exist on Titan, but the origin of the sand, which appears to be organic, is unknown. We used nanoindentation to study the mechanical properties of…

astro-ph.EP2018★ 77 cited

Photochemical Haze Formation in the Atmospheres of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes

Chao He, Sarah M. Horst, Nikole K. Lewis +8

UV radiation can induce photochemical processes in exoplanet atmospheres and produce haze particles. Recent observations suggest that haze and/or cloud layers could be present in t…

astro-ph.EP2018★ 27 cited

Exploring the Atmosphere of Neoproterozoic Earth: The Effect of O on Haze Formation and Composition

Sarah M. Hörst, Chao He, Melissa S. Ugelow +3

Previous studies of haze formation in the atmosphere of the Early Earth have focused on N/CO/CH atmospheres. Here, we experimentally investigate the effect of O$_…