Sarah Millholland, an assistant professor of physics at MIT and a member of the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, has been honored as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Vera Rubin Early Career Award. Millholland’s groundbreaking work on the formation and dynamics of extrasolar planetary systems has garnered her this distinguished recognition.
The American Astronomical Society’s Division on Dynamical Astronomy (DDA) has acknowledged Millholland for her innovative findings, specifically her insights that super-Earth planets in a planetary system tend to have similar masses. Additionally, her research indicates that the statistics of compact multi-planet systems are aligned with a smooth inclination distribution, and that resonances, which trap obliquities to high values, may significantly enhance the tidal evolution of planetary orbits.
Her citation highlights her unique approach, which includes thoughtful analyses of three-dimensional dynamical processes and the effective use of observational data to refine dynamical models. Millholland is scheduled to deliver a lecture at the 56th annual DDA meeting in the spring of 2025.
“Receiving the DDA Vera Rubin Early Career Prize is a tremendous honor. I am truly thankful to my advisors and mentors in the dynamical astronomy community,” expressed Millholland. “The DDA holds significant importance for me, and I eagerly anticipate contributing to it for many years to come.”
As a data-driven dynamicist, Millholland focuses on the study of extrasolar planets—delving into their formation, evolution, orbital architectures, and physical characteristics including atmospheres. Her research examines patterns within observed planetary orbital architectures, encompassing factors such as spacings, eccentricities, inclinations, axial tilts, and the relationships between planetary sizes. She specializes in exploring how gravitational interactions including tides, resonances, and spin dynamics shape observable properties of exoplanets.
Millholland completed her bachelor’s degrees in physics and applied mathematics at the University of Saint Thomas in 2015 and went on to earn her PhD in astronomy from Yale University in 2020. Following her doctoral studies, she served as a NASA Sagan Postdoctoral Fellow at Princeton University until 2022, when she joined MIT.
The Vera Rubin Early Career Prize was established in 2016 to honor the late Vera Rubin, a long-standing member of the DDA and a pioneer in the field of galactic dynamics.
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
