News
Dr. Tommy Chi Ho Lau receives A&A Award 2026
27 Apr 2026
Dr. Tommy Chi Ho Lau has been awarded the Astronomy & Astrophysics Award for Outstanding PhD Article 2026 by the A&A Awards Committee.
Dr. Lau, a former PhD student in the research group of Prof. Til Birnstiel and now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Chicago, developed the first model that connects all stages of the growth process from microscopic dust grains to planetary cores within a single self-consistent simulation—from submicron particles to Earth-mass cores. More information can be found here. The committee unanimously selected the paper titled “Rapid formation of massive planetary cores in a pressure bump” (A&A 668, A170, 2022) for this award.