Luke Bouma

Luke Bouma is a Carnegie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Observatories in Pasadena, specializing in exoplanet science and astrophysics. His research focuses on the origins of exoplanets and their connections to host stars, employing both observational and theoretical methods. He investigates young planetary systems (hundreds of millions of years old) to understand formation mechanisms and environments. Bouma’s work leverages cutting-edge tools like TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and collaborates with projects such as THYME (TESS Hunt for Young and Maturing Exoplanets) to study planetary systems in young stellar associations.

His research interests include stellar activity cycles, planet formation dynamics, and the interplay between planetary systems and their host stars. Bouma has contributed to projects like the T16 Project (analyzing TESS data for faint stars) and SPYGLASS (studying star-forming regions in Cepheus-Hercules). He frequently collaborates with international teams to characterize exoplanets using radial velocity measurements and transit photometry.

Bouma’s work has led to discoveries of young multiplanet systems, resonant planetary pairs, and super-Neptunes in nearby stellar associations. His studies aim to bridge gaps in understanding planet evolution and the environments where they form, using both ground-based observatories and space missions like TESS and CHEOPS.