Evolution of planetary atmospheres,
Habitability of planets,

Comparative planetology

1.  Dr. Tian and his colleagues are the first group to calculate hydrodynamic escape of hydrogen from early Earth’s atmosphere (Tian et al. Science, 2005). They found that the hydrogen content of early Earth’s atmosphere should have been in the range of 1% or higher, which would have facilitated the origin of life on early Earth.
2. Dr. Tian and his colleagues are the first group to calculate the responses of early Martian upper atmosphere to early solar EUV radiation (Tian et al. 2009). They found that early Mars should have lost large amount of carbon dioxide prior to 4 billion years ago and as a result Mars would not have been able to maintain a warm climate during the early Noachian epoch.

Honors and awards

National Research Council Research Associateship Award                             2005

NASA Team Achievement award to the Cassini UVIS team                                 2009

E. Chassefière, E. Dartois, J-M. Herri, F. Tian et al. CO2–SO2 clathrate hydrate formation on early Mars. Icarus 223, 878 (2013)
K. France, J. L. Linsky, F. Tian, et al. TIME-RESOLVED ULTRAVIOLET SPECTROSCOPY OF THE M-DWARF GJ 876 EXOPLANETARY SYSTEM. ApJ 750, L32 (2012)

F. Tian, M.W. Claire, J.D. Haqq-Misra, M. Smith, D.C. Crisp, D. Catling, K. Zahnle, J.F. Kasting, Photochemical and Climate Consequences of Sulfur Outgassing on Early Mars. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 295, 412 (2010)

F. Tian, Thermal escape from super-Earth atmospheres in the habitable zones of M stars. ApJ 703, 905-909 (2009)

F. Tian, J.F. Kasting, S.C. Solomon, Thermal Escape of Carbon from the Early Martian Atmosphere. GRL 36, L02205, doi:10.1029/2008GL036513 (2009)

F. Tian, A.I.F. Stewart, O.B. Toon, K.W. Larsen, L.W. Esposito, Monte Carlo simulations of the Water Plumes on Enceladus, Icarus 188, 154-161 (2007)

F. Tian, O.B. Toon, A.A. Pavlov, H. DeSterck, A Hydrogen-Rich Early Earth Atmosphere, Science 308, 1014-1017 (2005)

F. Tian, O.B. Toon, A.A. Pavlov, H. DeSterck, Transonic Hydrodynamic Escape of Hydrogen from Extrasolar Planetary Atmospheres, ApJ, 621, 1049-1060 (2005)