Vighnesh Nagpal

University of Chicago · NSF Graduate Research Fellow

Vighnesh Nagpal

I model the atmospheres of sub-Neptunes — aerosols, photochemistry, and climate — and work on planetary and galactic dynamics besides.

Publications Curriculum vitae

About

About

I'm a PhD student and NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.

I work with Diana Powell and Peter Gao on modeling sub-Neptune atmospheres, focusing on aerosols, photochemistry, and climate. My interests are fairly broad, though — I also work on problems at the intersection of planetary and galactic dynamics.

Vighnesh Nagpal

Publications

Publications

First or second author

2026
First author

Shine Bright Like a Sub-Neptune: Explaining GJ 1214 b’s High Bond Albedo with Coupled Aerosol Microphysics and the Reflected Light Phase Integral

V. Nagpal, M. Steinrueck, et al.

Submitted to ApJ

2026
First author

Wet Removal and Cloud Enhancement: The Microphysics of Cloud–Haze Interactions on Sub-Neptunes

V. Nagpal, M. Steinrueck, D. Powell, P. Gao, D. Samra, W. Cukier

ApJ 1010, 133

2026

Photochemical Production of CS2 in Temperate-to-Warm Gas Giant Exoplanet Atmospheres

J. Yang, V. Nagpal, M. Zhang, Q. Xue, et al.

ApJL, in press

Contributing author

2026

C, N, O, S, and photochemistry in a temperate giant orbiting a mid M dwarf

M. Zhang, Q. Xue, J. Yang, V. Nagpal, et al.

ApJL, in press

2026

CARMApy: An Open-Source Python Framework for Simulating Microphysical Clouds in Planetary Atmospheres

W. Cukier, D. Powell, X. Zhang, P. Gao, D. Samra, V. Nagpal

Submitted to ApJ

2024

orbitize! v3: Orbit Fitting for the High-Contrast Imaging Community

S. Blunt, J. J. Wang, and 18 colleagues incl. V. Nagpal

JOSS

2023

Improved Constraints on the 21 cm EoR Power Spectrum and the X-Ray Heating of the IGM with HERA Phase I Observations

The HERA Collaboration, and 90 colleagues incl. V. Nagpal

ApJ 945, 124

In preparation

2026
First author

Swept by the Galactic Tide: How the Galaxy Shapes the Fates of Wide Binaries and their Giant Planets

V. Nagpal, T. Lu, M. Rice, et al.

Submission expected Nov 2026

2026
First author

The Stellar Blueprint: How Host Stars Shape Sub-Neptune Climate and Chemistry

V. Nagpal, K. E. Rockcliffe, D. Powell, P. Gao, et al.

Submission to ApJ expected Dec 2026

2026
First author

Limits on FRB Occurrence Rates from 110–180 MHz with HERA Phase I Observations

V. Nagpal, J. S. Dillon, et al.

In preparation

2026

Tholin Hazes Are More Reflective Around M Dwarfs

M. Steinrueck, V. Nagpal, P. Gao, E. Wolf

In preparation

Contact

Get in touch

Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Chicago.

vnagpal@uchicago.edu Curriculum vitae (PDF) Google Scholar GitHub