Karen Willacy
B.Sc. (Hons) Physics, University of Durham (1988)
M.Sc. Radioastronomy, University of Manchester (1990)
Ph.D. Astrophysics, Universtiy of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (1993)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (1998-Present)
Research Scientist(2000-Present)
National Research Council Resident Research Associate (1998-1999)
UMIST, Postdoctoral research associate (1995-1998)
University of Edinburgh, Postdoctoral research associate, (1993-1995)
Logica Energy and Industry Systems Ltd, Computer programmer (1988-1989)
Chemistry of the interstellar medium, including prestellar cores, protoplanetary disks and circumstellar envelopes around late-type stars
Formation and evolution of pre-biotic molecules
Gas/grain interactions in the interstellar medium
Deuterium chemistry
NASA Group Achievement Award SIM Science Office Team (2011)
National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship (1998-1999)
Fellow of Royal Astronomical Society
Member of American Astronomical Society
Chapman, J. W., Zellem, R. T., Line, M. R., Vasisht, G., Bryden, G., Willacy, K., Iyer, A.R., Bean, J., et al. (2017) Quantifying the Impact of Spectral Coverage on the Retrieval of Molecular Abundances from Exoplanet Transmission Spectra, PASP, 129, 4402
Willacy, K., Allen, M. A., Yung, Y. (2016) A new astrobiological model of the atmosphere of Titan, ApJ, 829, 79
Tritsis, A., Tassis, K. Willacy, K. (2016) Chemistry as a diagnostic of prestellar core geometry, MNRAS, 458, 789
Willacy, K., Alexander, C., Ali-Dib, M., Ceccarelli, C., Charnley, S. B., Doronin, M., Ellinger, Y., Gast, P., Gibb, E., Milam, S. N., Mousis, O., Pauzat, F., Tornow, C., Wirstrom, E. & Zickler, E. (2015) Composition of the protosolar disk and the formation conditions for comets, Space Sci. Rev. 197, 151
Mandt, K., Mousis, O., Marty, B., Cavelie, T., Harris, W., Hartogh, P., Willacy, K. & Gautier, D. (2015) Constraints from comets on the formation and volatile acquisition of the planets and satellites, Space Sci. Rev. 197, 297
Langer, W.D., Velusamy, T., Pineda, J. L., Willacy, K. & Goldsmith, P F. (2014) A Herschel [CII] Galactic plane survey II. CO-dark H2 in clouds A&A, 561, L122
Tassis, K., Willacy, K., Yorke, H. W. & Turner, N. J. (2012) Non-equilibrium chemistry of dynamically evolving prestellar cores I. Basic magnetic and non-magnetic models and parameter studies ApJ 753 29
Bell, T. A., Willacy, K., Phillips, T. G. & Allen, A. (2011) The influence of deuteration and turbulence diffusion on the observed D/H ratio, ApJ 731 48
Willacy, K. & Woods, P. (2009) Deuterium chemistry in protoplantary disks. II. The inner disk, ApJ, 703, 479
Dodson-Robinson, S., Willacy, K., Bodenheimer, P., Laughlin, G., Turner, N. & Beichman, C. (2009) Ice lines, planetesimal composition and solid surface density in the solar nebula, Icarus, 200, 672
Maret, S., Bergin, E., Neufeld, D., Green, J., Watson, D., Harwit, M., Kristensen, L., Melnick, G., Sonnentrucker, P., Tolls, V., Werner, M. & Willacy, K. (2009) Spitzer mapping o molecular hydrogen pure rotational lines in NGC 1333, ApJ, 698, 1244
Woods, P. & Willacy, K. (2009) Carbon isotope fractionation in protoplanetary disks ApJ, 693, 1360
Robinson, S., Bodenheimer, P., Laughlin, G., Willacy, K., Turner, N., & Beichman, C. (2008) Saturn forms by core-accretion in 3.37 Myrs, ApJ Letters, 688, L99
Deutsch, M., Abilleira, F., Bell, D., Chodas, J., Harmon, C., Kerridge, S., Kinsey, R., Komarek, T., Lisman, D., Lopez, S., Riedel, E., Willacy, K. & Winterhalter, D. (2008) The Mars Science Orbiter Concept, IEEE conference paper
Willacy, K. (2007) Deuterium chemistry in protoplanetary disks I. Outer disk models ApJ 660 441
Woods, P. & Willacy, K. (2007) Benzene formation in the inner regions of protostellar disks ApJ 655 L49
Willacy, K., Langer, W. D, Allen, M. & Bryden, G. (2006) Chemical effects of turbulent mixing in protoplanetary disks ApJ 644 1202
Willacy, K. (2004) A chemical route to the formation of water in carbon-rich AGB stars – Fischer-Tropsch catalysis, ApJ 600 L87
Willacy, K., Langer, W. D. & Allen, M. A. (2002) HI: A chemical tracer of turbulent diffusion in molecular clouds, ApJ 573 L119
Willacy, K. & Langer, W. D. (2000) The importance of photoprocessing in protoplanetary disks, ApJ 544 903
Willacy, K., Langer, W. D. & Velusamy, T. (1998) Dust emission and molecular depletion in L1498, ApJL 507 L17
Willacy, K. & Millar, T. J. (1998) Desorption processes and the deuterium fractionation in molecular clouds, MNRAS 298 562
Willacy K. & Cherchneff, I. (1998) Silicon and sulphur chemistry in the inner wind of IRC+10216, A&A 330 676
Willacy, K. & Millar, T. J. (1997) Carbon chemistry in oxygen-rich circumstellar envelopes, A&A 324 237
Willacy, K., Rawlings, J. M. C. & Williams, D. A. (1994) Molecular desorption from dust in star forming regions, MNRAS 269 921
Habitability of Hydrocarbon Worlds: Titan and Beyond