Dr. Meadows is a Professor with the Astronomy Department and Director of the Astrobiology Program at the University of Washington. She is also the Principal Investigator for the NASA Astrobiology Institute’s Virtual Planetary Laboratory Lead Team. She has a B.Sc. in Physics from the University of New South Wales, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the Astrophysics Department of the University of Sydney.
Dr. Meadows’ primary research interests are in the challenging area of using modeling and observations to determine how to recognize whether a distant extrasolar planet is able to harbor life. Her NASA NExSS Virtual Planetary Laboratory team develops innovative computer models that can be used to understand the terrestrial planet formation process, test planetary dynamical stability and orbital evolution, and simulate the environment and spectra of present day and early Earth, other Solar System planets, and plausible extrasolar terrestrial environments. This research group can assess the stability and habitability of newly discovered planetary systems and use their models to produce simulated data for extrasolar planet environments, to assist the design and development of future NASA planet detection and characterization missions.
In addition to her astrobiology research, Dr. Meadows remains a planetary astronomer, and her research interests also encompass remote-sensing observations and radiative transfer modeling of the lower atmosphere and clouds of Venus, the variable Earth, spectra of Titan and Neptune’s atmospheres, and the impacts of Comet SL-9 with Jupiter.
Current Students & Postdocs:
Past Students & Postdocs:
- Tyler Robinson
- Amit Misra
- Aomawa Shields
- Giada Arney
- Eddie Schwieterman
- Lupita Tovar
- Jacob Lustig-Yaeger
- Andrew Lincowski
- Samantha Gilbert
- Hector Delgado-Diaz
- Gabrielle Engelmann-Suissa
- Kim Bott (Postdoc)
- Michael Wong (Postdoc)
- Matt Tilley (Postdoc)
- Shawn Domagal-Goldman (Postdoc)
Selected Publications
Tilley, M. A., Segura, A., Meadows, V., Hawley, S., & Davenport, J. (2019). Modeling Repeated M Dwarf Flaring at an Earth-like Planet in the Habitable Zone: Atmospheric Effects for an Unmagnetized Planet. Astrobiology, 64–86. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1794
Lustig-Yaeger, J., Meadows, V. S., Tovar Mendoza, G., Schwieterman, E. W., Fujii, Y., Luger, R., & Robinson, T. D. (2018). Detecting Ocean Glint on Exoplanets Using Multiphase Mapping. The Astronomical Journal, 301. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aaed3a
Lincowski, A. P., Meadows, V. S., Crisp, D., Robinson, T. D., Luger, R., Lustig-Yaeger, J., & Arney, G. N. (2018). Evolved Climates and Observational Discriminants for the TRAPPIST-1 Planetary System. The Astrophysical Journal, 76. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aae36a
Meadows, V. S., Reinhard, C. T., Arney, G. N., Parenteau, M. N., Schwieterman, E. W., Domagal-Goldman, S. D., … Grenfell, J. L. (2018). Exoplanet Biosignatures: Understanding Oxygen as a Biosignature in the Context of Its Environment. Astrobiology, 630–662. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1727
Meadows, V. S., Arney, G. N., Schwieterman, E. W., Lustig-Yaeger, J., Lincowski, A. P., Robinson, T., … Crisp, D. (2018). The Habitability of Proxima Centauri b: Environmental States and Observational Discriminants. Astrobiology, 133–189. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1589
Arney, G., Domagal-Goldman, S. D., & Meadows, V. S. (2018). Organic Haze as a Biosignature in Anoxic Earth-like Atmospheres. Astrobiology, 311–329. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2017.1666
Meadows, V. S. (2017). Reflections on O2 as a Biosignature in Exoplanetary Atmospheres. Astrobiology, 1022–1052. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2016.1578
Luger, R., Lustig-Yaeger, J., Fleming, D. P., Tilley, M. A., Agol, E., Meadows, V. S., … Barnes, R. (2017). The Pale Green Dot: A Method to Characterize Proxima Centauri b Using Exo-Aurorae. The Astrophysical Journal, 63. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa6040
Arney, G. N., Meadows, V. S., Domagal-Goldman, S. D., Deming, D., Robinson, T. D., Tovar, G., … Schwieterman, E. (2017). Pale Orange Dots: The Impact of Organic Haze on the Habitability and Detectability of Earthlike Exoplanets. The Astrophysical Journal, 49. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/836/1/49
Arney, G., Domagal-Goldman, S. D., Meadows, V. S., Wolf, E. T., Schwieterman, E., Charnay, B., … Trainer, M. G. (2016). The Pale Orange Dot: The Spectrum and Habitability of Hazy Archean Earth. Astrobiology, 873–899. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1422
Shields, A. L., Barnes, R., Agol, E., Charnay, B., Bitz, C., & Meadows, V. S. (2016). The Effect of Orbital Configuration on the Possible Climates and Habitability of Kepler-62f. Astrobiology, 443–464. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2015.1353
Schwieterman, E. W., Meadows, V. S., Domagal-Goldman, S. D., Deming, D., Arney, G. N., Luger, R., … Barnes, R. (2016). IDENTIFYING PLANETARY BIOSIGNATURE IMPOSTORS: SPECTRAL FEATURES OF CO AND O4RESULTING FROM ABIOTIC O2/O3PRODUCTION. The Astrophysical Journal, L13. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/819/1/l13
Krissansen-Totton, J., Schwieterman, E. W., Charnay, B., Arney, G., Robinson, T. D., Meadows, V., & Catling, D. C. (2016). IS THE PALE BLUE DOT UNIQUE? OPTIMIZED PHOTOMETRIC BANDS FOR IDENTIFYING EARTH-LIKE EXOPLANETS. The Astrophysical Journal, 31. https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637x/817/1/31
Barnes, R., Meadows, V. S., & Evans, N. (2015). COMPARATIVE HABITABILITY OF TRANSITING EXOPLANETS. The Astrophysical Journal, 91. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/814/2/91
Charnay, B., Meadows, V., Misra, A., Leconte, J., & Arney, G. (2015). 3D MODELING OF GJ1214b’s ATMOSPHERE: FORMATION OF INHOMOGENEOUS HIGH CLOUDS AND OBSERVATIONAL IMPLICATIONS. The Astrophysical Journal, L1. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/813/1/l1
Charnay, B., Meadows, V., & Leconte, J. (2015). 3D MODELING OF GJ1214B’S ATMOSPHERE: VERTICAL MIXING DRIVEN BY AN ANTI-HADLEY CIRCULATION. The Astrophysical Journal, 15. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/813/1/15
Schwieterman, E. W., Robinson, T. D., Meadows, V. S., Misra, A., & Domagal-Goldman, S. (2015). DETECTING AND CONSTRAINING N2ABUNDANCES IN PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES USING COLLISIONAL PAIRS. The Astrophysical Journal, 57. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/810/1/57
Schwieterman, E. W., Cockell, C. S., & Meadows, V. S. (2015). Nonphotosynthetic Pigments as Potential Biosignatures. Astrobiology, 341–361. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2014.1178
Luger, R., Barnes, R., Lopez, E., Fortney, J., Jackson, B., & Meadows, V. (2015). Habitable Evaporated Cores: Transforming Mini-Neptunes into Super-Earths in the Habitable Zones of M Dwarfs. Astrobiology, 57–88. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2014.1215
Misra, A. K., & Meadows, V. S. (2014). DISCRIMINATING BETWEEN CLOUDY, HAZY, AND CLEAR SKY EXOPLANETS USING REFRACTION. The Astrophysical Journal, L14. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/795/1/l14
Misra, A., Meadows, V., & Crisp, D. (2014). THE EFFECTS OF REFRACTION ON TRANSIT TRANSMISSION SPECTROSCOPY: APPLICATION TO EARTH-LIKE EXOPLANETS. The Astrophysical Journal, 61. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/792/1/61
Arney, G., Meadows, V., Crisp, D., Schmidt, S. J., Bailey, J., & Robinson, T. (2014). Spatially resolved measurements of H2O, HCl, CO, OCS, SO2, cloud opacity, and acid concentration in the Venus near-infrared spectral windows. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 1860–1891. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014je004662
Robinson, T. D., Ennico, K., Meadows, V. S., Sparks, W., Bussey, D. B. J., Schwieterman, E. W., & Breiner, J. (2014). DETECTION OF OCEAN GLINT AND OZONE ABSORPTION USINGLCROSSEARTH OBSERVATIONS. The Astrophysical Journal, 171. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/787/2/171
Shields, A. L., Bitz, C. M., Meadows, V. S., Joshi, M. M., & Robinson, T. D. (2014). SPECTRUM-DRIVEN PLANETARY DEGLACIATION DUE TO INCREASES IN STELLAR LUMINOSITY. The Astrophysical Journal, L9. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/785/1/l9
Misra, A., Meadows, V., Claire, M., & Crisp, D. (2014). Using Dimers to Measure Biosignatures and Atmospheric Pressure for Terrestrial Exoplanets. Astrobiology, 67–86. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2013.0990
Shields, A. L., Meadows, V. S., Bitz, C. M., Pierrehumbert, R. T., Joshi, M. M., & Robinson, T. D. (2013). The Effect of Host Star Spectral Energy Distribution and Ice-Albedo Feedback on the Climate of Extrasolar Planets. Astrobiology, 715–739. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2012.0961
Chamberlain, S., Bailey, J., Crisp, D., & Meadows, V. (2013). Ground-based near-infrared observations of water vapour in the Venus troposphere. Icarus, 364–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2012.11.014
Domagal-Goldman, S. D., Meadows, V. S., Claire, M. W., & Kasting, J. F. (2011). Using Biogenic Sulfur Gases as Remotely Detectable Biosignatures on Anoxic Planets. Astrobiology, 419–441. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2010.0509
Robinson, T. D., Meadows, V. S., Crisp, D., Deming, D., A’Hearn, M. F., Charbonneau, D., … Wellnitz, D. D. (2011). Earth as an Extrasolar Planet: Earth Model Validation Using EPOXI Earth Observations. Astrobiology, 393–408. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2011.0642
Segura, A., Walkowicz, L. M., Meadows, V., Kasting, J., & Hawley, S. (2010). The Effect of a Strong Stellar Flare on the Atmospheric Chemistry of an Earth-like Planet Orbiting an M Dwarf. Astrobiology, 751–771. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2009.0376
Robinson, T. D., Meadows, V. S., & Crisp, D. (2010). DETECTING OCEANS ON EXTRASOLAR PLANETS USING THE GLINT EFFECT. The Astrophysical Journal, L67–L71. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/721/1/l67
Cowan, N. B., Agol, E., Meadows, V. S., Robinson, T., Livengood, T. A., … Deming, D. (2009). ALIEN MAPS OF AN OCEAN-BEARING WORLD. The Astrophysical Journal, 915–923. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/700/2/915
Segura, A., Meadows, V. S., Kasting, J. F., Crisp, D., & Cohen, M. (2007). Abiotic formation of O2 and O3 in high-CO2 terrestrial atmospheres. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 665–679. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20066663
Segura, A., Kasting, J. F., Meadows, V., Cohen, M., Scalo, J., Crisp, D., … Tinetti, G. (2005). Biosignatures from Earth-Like Planets Around M Dwarfs. Astrobiology, 706–725. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2005.5.706
Tinetti, G., Meadows, V. S., Crisp, D., Fong, W., Velusamy, T., & Snively, H. (2005). Disk-Averaged Synthetic Spectra of Mars. Astrobiology, 461–482. https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2005.5.461
Segura, A., Krelove, K., Kasting, J. F., Sommerlatt, D., Meadows, V., Crisp, D., … Mlawer, E. (2003). Ozone Concentrations and Ultraviolet Fluxes on Earth-Like Planets Around Other Stars. Astrobiology, 689–708. https://doi.org/10.1089/153110703322736024