Assistant Professor of Physics
Chair of the Physics Department

Teaching Area

Physics

Education

• PhD, Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz
• MS, University of California, Santa Cruz
• BS, Principia College

Contact

• 618.374.5293
• Send a message to Dr. Langton.

Dr. Jonathan Langton holds degrees in physics from Principia College and the University of California at Santa Cruz. Before joining the Principia College faculty in 2009, he spent a year as a post-doctoral fellow at UC Santa Cruz.

Scholarly interests

• Langton’s research interests have focused on the study of extrasolar planets. For his dissertation research, he modeled the atmospheres of strongly irradiated giant exoplanets, with particular emphasis on planets with eccentric orbits. Since then, he has worked on analysis of exoplanet observations taken by the Spitzer Space Telescope. His current activities also include characterizing the observational effects of clouds and non-equilibrium chemistry in planetary atmospheres and the formation of polygonal vortices in rotating fluids.

Memberships and Affiliations

• Sigma Pi Sigma
• American Astronomical Society

Publications

• Laughlin, G. et al. 2009. “Rapid Heating of the Atmosphere of an Extrasolar Planet.”  Nature 457: 562–564.
• Langton, J. and Laughlin, G. 2008.  “Hydrodynamic Simulations of Unevenly Irradiated Jovian Planets.”  Astrophysical Journal 674: 1106.
• Langton, J. and Laughlin, G. 2007.  “Observational Consequences of Hydrodynamic Flows on Hot Jupiters.”  Astrophysical Journal 657: L113.

For additional publications and presentations, please see the CV below.

Dr. Jonathan Langton CV