Peter

GaoHe/His

Peter Gao focuses on the physics and chemistry of planetary atmospheres within and beyond the Solar System and what they can tell us about planetary origins and habitability. 

Gao has been a part of several exploratory teams that investigated sulfuric acid clouds on Venus, methane on Mars, and the atmospheric hazes of Pluto. He also creates models that apply knowledge of photochemistry and cloud physics to help characterize the atmospheres of exoplanets and brown dwarfs, which are sometimes called failed stars, because they are not able to sustain hydrogen fusion.