Project scientist at UC Riverside
I research exoplanet atmospheres and develop open-source modeling tools
I led an Early Release Science (ERS) program explaining the transmission spectra of WASP-39 b observed by JWST NIRSpec. We found photochemical models can consistently reproduce the sulfur dioxide (SO2) spectra feature. We found this SO2 feature sensitive to the heavy elements in the atmosphere and could hold clues to the formation history of the planet. Read more on Tsai et al. 2023 (Nature) and NASA news feature.
I introduced a 2D atmosphere model to explore how the global circulation redistributed gas species. On a hot Jupiter like WASP-39b, SO2 produced by photochemistry on the dayside can be rapidly transported to the permanent nightside and build up to high levels.
I am a postdoc at UC Riverside. I use numerical models and spectral data to study planetary atmospheres. I am particularly interested in the interaction between climate dynamics and atmospheric chemistry.
Originally from Taiwan, I did my undergraduate degree in physics at National Taiwan University, followed by a master's in Astrophysics. I did my PhD from 2014 to 2018 at the University of Bern, Switzerland, with Prof. Kevin Heng on my PhD entitled "kinetics". I developed an open-source photochemical model VULCAN (link) during this period. Between 2018 and 2022, I worked with Prof. Ray Pierrehumbert as postdoc funded by the ERC at the University of Oxford. In November 2022, I moved to sunny California to work with Prof. Edward Schwieterman on exoplanet habitability as a postdoc at University California, Riverside.
When not deciphering the alien skies, I enjoy basketball, board games, and wine.
