Stephen Mojzsis - Selected Publications#

1. Pignatari, Trueman, Womack, Gibson, Cote, Turrini, Sneden, Mojzsis et al. (2023). The chemical evolution of the solar neighbourhood for planet-hosting stars. Monthly Notices Royal Astronomical Society, 524 (4), 6295-6330

This paper analyzed the stellar production and the chemical evolution of key elements that underpin the formation of rocky (C, O, Mg, Si) and gas/ice giant planets (C, N, O, S). We calculate 198 galactic chemical evolution (GCE) models of the solar neighborhood to analyze the impact of different sets of stellar yields.

2. Spaargaren, Wang, Mojzsis et al. (2023). Plausible constraints on the range of bulk terrestrial exoplanet compositions in the Solar neighborhood. The Astrophysical Journal 948, 53

In this paper, the plausible compositions of rocky planets around 6000 Sun-like (FGK) stars in the solar neighbourhood are computed using devolatilization codes, and used as input to geodynamical and mineralogic simulations of their interior states.

3. Wang, Quanz, Yong, Liu, Seidler, Acuna & Mojzsis (2022). Detailed chemical compositions of planet-hosting stars–II. Exploration of the interiors of terrestrial-type exoplanets. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 513 (4), 5829-5846

This paper documents essential steps to explore the detailed mineralogy and interior structure of terrestrial-type exoplanets, which in turn are fundamental for a quantitative understanding of planetary dynamics and long-term evolution.

4. Mojzsis (2022). Geoastronomy: Rocky Planets as the Lavoisier–Lomonosov Bridge from the Non-living to the Living World. Prebiotic Chemistry and Life’s Origin, 21-76

This paper argues that the Lavoisier–Lomonosov Bridge from the “inanimate” to the “animate” world has not yet been experimentally crossed. It is proposed that the reactants and conditions necessary for this process to occur on cosmochemically Earth-like exoplanets are abundant.

5. Wang, Lineweaver, Quanz, Mojzsis et al. (2022). A model Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of alpha Centauri A/B. The Astrophysical Journal 927 (2), 134

This paper suggests that an ancient alpha-Cen-Earth (1.5–2.5 Gyr older than Earth) is expected to have less efficient mantle convection and planetary resurfacing, with a potentially prolonged history of stagnant-lid regimes. This work also modeled outgassing of secondary atmosphere.

6. Mah, Brasser, Woo, Bouvier & Mojzsis (2022). Evidence of a primordial isotopic gradient in the inner region of the solar protoplanetary disc. Astronomy & Astrophysics 660, A36

This paper explains the apparent correlation between the different nucleosynthetic isotopic compositions of the Earth, Mars, and Vesta.

7. Wang, Morel, Quanz & Mojzsis (2020). Europium as a lodestar: diagnosis of radiogenic heat production in terrestrial exoplanets. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 644, A19

This article employed the refractory, r-process nuclide Eu as a convenient and practical proxy for population analysis of radiogenic heating in exoplanetary systems by U- and Th. As a case study, the paper determined Eu abundances in the photospheres of a Cen A and B with high-resolution HARPS spectra and a strict line-by-line differential analysis.

8. Brasser & Mojzsis (2020). The inner and outer solar system was partitioned by a structured protosolar disk. Nature Astronomy, doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0978-6

This paper introduced the idea that one or multiple mobile long-lived pressure maxima, manifested as ”ALMA-disk ring structures”, can account for the r- vs. s-process compositional partition between the inner- and outer solar system’s protoplanetary disk.

9. Mojzsis et al. (2019). Onset of giant planet migration before 4480 million years ago. Astrophysical Journal, 88, 44.

This paper reconciled geochronological data with dynamical models to show that giant planet migration led to a protracted monotonic decline in impactor flux, in agreement with predictions from crater chronology.

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