Special Professor
Supervisor of Doctorate Candidates
Supervisor of Master's Candidates
May 16, 2025: Associate Professor Martin Guitreau from Université Clermont Auvergne Visits the Laboratory for Academic Exchange
May 13, 2026: Sai Wang Publishes Research Article in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Sai Wang published a research article as the first author in Astronomy & Astrophysics, entitled Influence of CO versus CH4 on Organic Haze Formation in Atmospheres of Diverse Terrestrial Exoplanets. Using laboratory simulations of terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres, the study shows that the formation and properties of organic hazes depend strongly on both the carbon source and the atmospheric redox state. The results revealed significant differences in haze production rates, particle size distributions, and chemical complexity under different redox conditions. This work provides important experimental constraints for understanding photochemical processes in terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres, characterizing the physical and chemical properties of haze particles, and interpreting future spectroscopic observations of exoplanets.
May 11, 2026: Research Article on Pluto's Seasonal Haze Formation Publishes in The Planetary Science Journal
Zhengbo Yang publishes an article in The Planetary Science Journal entitled Seasonal Variability of Pluto's Haze Formation Revealed by Laboratory Simulations. By simulating photochemical processes in Pluto-like atmospheres under different seasonal conditions, the study investigated how variations in methane abundance influence organic haze formation. The results show that higher methane concentrations lead to increased gas-phase chemical diversity, enhanced haze production, and clear changes in particle aggregation and chemical composition. This work provides new experimental constraints for interpreting the haze observed by NASA's New Horizons mission and offers valuable insights into photochemical processes and climate evolution in Pluto, other outer Solar System bodies, and exoplanetary atmospheres.
April 28, 2026: Zhengbo Yang and HaixinLi Attend the Second Future Atmospheric Science Forum 2026 and Each Delivers an Oral Presentation.
Their talks, entitled "Composition Dependence of Organic Hazes in Terrestrial Exoplanet Atmospheres and Its Implications for Spectral Interpretation" and "Optical Properties of Photochemical Hazes in Titan-like Atmospheres: The Controlling Role of Carbon-source Composition," respectively, presents the group's latest research progress in planetary atmospheric chemistry and photochemical haze studies.
April 24, 2026: Students from Peking University Visit the Laboratory for Academic Exchange and Learning
April 20, 2026: Xiao'ou Luo Publishes in The Planetary Science Journal: "Quantifying Building Blocks of Life in Planetary Analog Materials: Implications for Prebiotic Chemistry and Biosignature Identification."
The study developed a gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS) method that enables robust qualitative and quantitative analysis of 56 biomolecules, including amino acids, nucleobases and fatty acids. The method was applied to Titan organic aerosol analogs and Martian analog samples from the Qaidam Basin, providing new experimental evidence for understanding prebiotic chemical processes and the search for extraterrestrial biosignatures.
March 31, 2026: Research Group Members Take a New Group Photo
(In the left image, from left to right: Zhengbo Yang, Yingjian Wang, Xinyi He, Yanzhe Cao, Prof. He, Sai Wang, Xiaoou Luo, Huidong Wen,and Haixin Li)
March 22–27, 2026: Research Group Members Attend the 2026 National Planetary Science Conference
Prof. He gives an invited presentation titled “Atmospheric photochemistry: a key uncertainty in detecting exoplanetary atmospheric composition and identifying biosignatures”. Students Sai Wang, Zhengbo Yang, Haixin Li, and Xiaoou Luo deliver oral presentations titled “Photochemical haze formation in terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres and its observational impacts”, “Seasonal variations in Pluto haze formation simulated in the laboratory”, “Optical properties of organic hazes and graphite in CO2-rich sub-Neptune atmospheres and their observational impacts”, and “Quantitative analysis of biogenic organic molecules in planetary simulation samples”, respectively. Zhengbo Yang, Haixin Li, and Xiaoou Luo receive Outstanding Student Paper Awards.
March 18, 2026: Freshmen from the 2025 Cohort of the School of the Gifted Young Visit the Laboratory for Learning
March 10, 2026: Party Secretary Xiaohua Yuan and Colleagues from the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Visit the Laboratory
January 27, 2026: Prof. Qifan Liu and Students from His Group Visit the Laboratory for Academic Exchange
January 24, 2026: Lab Members Play Badminton to Boost Fitness and Team Cohesion
January 4, 2026: Yupeng Yao, Deputy Director of the Planning & Policy Bureau, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and Executive Deputy Director of the Department of Earth Sciences, Visits the Laboratory, Accompanied by Dean Huaiwei Ni and Vice Dean Lei Geng
December 8, 2025: Luca Maltagliati, Senior Editor at Nature Astronomy, Visits for Academic Exchange
November 13, 2025: Greg Michael, Research Professor at the Institute of Geochemistry (Guiyang), Visits the Lab
November 5, 2025: Renowned Geologist and Planetary Scientist Birger Schmitz Visits for Scientific Exchange
October 15, 2025: Academician Yigang Xu Visits the Lab, Accompanied by Dean Huaiwei Ni and Prof. Yunguo Li, Among Others
September 10, 2025: Haixin Li Publishes in The Astrophysical Journal Letters: “The Impact of Organic Hazes and Graphite on the Observation of CO2-rich Sub Neptune Atmospheres”
September 9, 2025: Sai Wang and Zhengbo Yang Co-First-Author Paper Published in The Astrophysical Journal: “Formation of Organic Hazes in CO2-rich Sub-Neptune Atmospheres within the Graphite Stability Regime”
August 28, 2025: Liu Jizhong, Chief Designer of the Tianwen-3 Mission, Visits the Laboratory for Guidance
July 20, 2025: Students Participating in the Summer Camp Visit the Laboratory
July 5, 2025: Livehouse Gathering: Team Immersed in the Rock Vibes of Haixin's Band
April 3, 2025: Cherry Blossom Season: Laboratory Members Gather for Group Photo
March 25–28, 2025: Group Members Attend the 6th Young Planetary Science Forum; Zhengbo Yang, Sai Wang, and Haixin Li Deliver Oral Presentations
February 20, 2025: Zhengbo Yang Publishes in The Planetary Science Journal: “How CO Affects the Composition of Titan’s Tholins Generated with Electron Cyclotron Resonance Plasma”
