معرفی
Nicolas Cowan is an Associate Professor at McGill University and holds the Canada Research Chair in Planetary Climate. He specializes in exoplanet research, focusing on planetary climate dynamics, remote sensing techniques, and atmospheric characterization. His work leverages cutting-edge space observatories like JWST and Hubble to study exoplanet atmospheres and surface properties. Cowan earned his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Washington (2009) and a BSc in Physics from McGill University (2004).
His research explores topics such as magma ocean evolution on lava planets, atmospheric escape mechanisms, and the detection of biosignatures. Cowan leads a research group advancing observational methods and models for exoplanet studies. He collaborates on major projects like the Ariel space mission and the ANDES spectrograph for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT).
Recent work includes analyzing phase curves of hot Jupiters, detecting helium absorption in exoplanet atmospheres, and studying the habitability of super-Earths around M-dwarfs. His group develops algorithms like ATOCA for spectral data processing and APOGEE for flare analysis in exoplanet-hosting stars.
Cowan’s contributions span over 100 peer-reviewed publications, with a focus on JWST-era exoplanet characterization and interdisciplinary approaches combining astrophysics, geology, and climate science. His lab actively participates in international collaborations to advance exoplanet science through both observational and theoretical frameworks.
