Justin Erwin joined LPL in May 2013, working as a post-doctoral fellow on the aeronomy of solar and extra-solar planets with Dr. Roger Yelle. His research focuses on the influence of close-in orbits on the escape of hydrogen from extrasolar gas giants. In particular, his research is focused on the enhancement of kinetic escape due to the 3D gravitational and non-inertial forces, and the non-thermal escape due to various stellar interactions. He also studies non-LTE radiative transfer in the atmospheres planets in our own solar system.

Justin is from Redding, Connecticut. He studied at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (New Mexico Tech), where he earned a B.S. in Mathematics (2006), a B.S. in Physics (2006), and a M.S. in Applied Mathematics (2008) with a thesis on control theory. Justin earned his Ph.D. in 2013 from the University of Virginia, conducting research on the atmosphere of Pluto and developing a radiative-conductive-escape atmospheric model. In his free time, Justin enjoys biking, cooking, and enjoying the weather outdoors in the southwest.