Joshua Bennett Lovell
CfA Fellow
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard-Smithsonian
Studying debris disks, planet formation, and the evolution of planetary systems
I am an astronomer interested in understanding how planetary systems form and evolve. My research focuses on debris disks around nearby stars. Debris disks are cosmic-cousins to the Solar System's Asteroid and Kuiper Belts, which were shaped by the Giant Planets, Jupiter and Neptune. I study the occurrence of debris disks, and their detailed structures, to decipher the processes by which planets can form, and how wider planetary systems evolve. Through observational and modelling/simulation-based approaches, I aim to uncover the dynamical processes that shape exo-planetary systems across their lifetimes. I completed my undergraduate, masters and PhD degrees at the University of Cambridge, UK. I am currently a CfA Prize 'JC Ryan' Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard-Smithsonian, MA USA, where I have worked since 2022 (SMA Fellow; 2022-2025).
Circumstellar dust and debris around main-sequence stars. How do debris disks trace planetary architectures and long-term dynamical processes in planetary systems?
Disk evolution from protoplanetary to debris disks. What are the roles of planets and planetesimals in shaping young (pre-main sequence) planetary systems?
Awarded JWST General Observer program as co-PI to study a sample of 14 nearby debris disks around Sun-like stars, to study 'PR Drag' and planet-disk interactions. PI: D. Wilner.
Awarded JWST General Observer program as PI to study a sample of eccentric debris disks, exploring the dynamical histories and asymmetric structures.
Three programs approved for the ALMA observatory to observe dust and molecular gas in debris disks, protoplanetary disks, and other young systems.
Presented research on planetary system formation and evolution at the Liberty Science Center public 'late' event, in the Western Hemisphere's largest planetarium.
Awarded an NRAO ALMA Ambassadorship to promote and support the use of ALMA amongst the North American astronomical community; in 2025 I co-led two workshops with J. den Brok.
For a complete list of publications, see: NASA ADS | arXiv | Google Scholar
I have advised students in research projects on debris disks, protoplanetary disks, and circumstellar winds. Below are current and recent projects:
See also: Rahman & Lovell et al. 2025