Zhongtian Zhang

I am a theoretical planetary scientist studying the formation and evolution of planetary bodies. My general research approach is to develop geophysical models and combine the model results with a variety of observations to propose, test, and constrain scenarios of planet formation and evolution. My thesis is about the formation and evolution of planetesimals and planetary embryos, and my thesis advisor is Prof. David Bercovici. I have worked on several different problems (covering planetesimals, planetary embryos, asteroids, and meteorite observations), but with a general and consistent goal of answering the question of how planetary bodies formed and how they evolved. 

Many of my research projects involve multi-phase processes, which are not only critical for questions of planetary science, but also crucial for understanding terrestrial processes. For example, I developed a model (as my bacholar thesis at Nanjing University, with Prof. Hejiu Hui) to understand the behaviors of immiscible melts that coexist during magma evolution on Earth and potentially other bodies. I have also performed mineral physics experiments (as my minor discourse project at Yale, with Prof. Shun-ichiro Karato) to determine the effect of pressure on grain growth in olivine aggregates, which holds implications for grain-boundary processes (seismic attenuation and long-term creep) in Earth and other rocky planets.