Dr Sushuang Ma is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Exoplanet Studies in the Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (NMES) at King’s College London. Her research focuses on characterising exoplanetary atmospheres through spectroscopic retrievals and modelling, with a particular emphasis on cloud formation and atmospheric chemistry, using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the forthcoming ESA Ariel mission.

Dr Ma completed her PhD in Astrophysics at University College London (UCL). She developed YunMa, a novel cloud and haze microphysics model and spectral retrieval framework optimised for exoplanetary atmospheres. She is also a co-developer of the latest version of the atmospheric retrieval code TauREx. Her large-scale simulations for the Ariel mission have contributed to refining target selection strategies and optimising observational efficiency for its scientific goals.

Beyond her core research, Dr Ma is involved in software development and high-performance computing (HPC) optimisation, and serves as one of the coordinators of the ESA Ariel Cloud/Haze Working Group. She is also active in science outreach, contributing to the ORBYT Programme and teaching at the King’s College London Mathematics School, where she mentored student projects on exoplanetary science.

Research

• Transit spectroscopy of exoplanet atmospheres
• Atmospheric cloud and chemistry simulation and retrievals of hot-Jupiters and sub-Neptunes
• Large-scale population study of the exoplanet targets of the ESA Ariel mission
• Spectrometer exoplanet science performance simulation

Dr Sushuang Ma’s research focuses on understanding the atmospheres of exoplanets through spectroscopic observations, numerical modelling, and retrieval techniques. She investigates the physical and chemical processes that shape exoplanetary spectra, with particular emphasis on the formation and evolution of clouds and hazes. Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and simulations for the ESA Ariel mission, her work bridges atmospheric theory, high-performance computation, and mission science preparation. Through developing and applying tools such as the YunMa microphysics model and TauREx retrieval code, Dr Ma contributes to advancing our understanding of planetary diversity and refining future exoplanet observations.

Publications

• A new look into the atmospheric composition of WASP-39 b
• YunMa: Enabling Spectral Retrievals of Exoplanetary Clouds
• Hydrocarbon Hazes on Temperate sub-Neptune K2-18b supported by data from the James Webb Space Telescope
• Atmospheric Characterisation with the Twinkle Space Telescope Following Advances from JWST Observations
• Clearing the clouds
• A Population Analysis of 20 Exoplanets Observed from Optical to Near-infrared Wavelengths with the Hubble Space Telescope: Evidence for Widespread Stellar Contamination
• Data availability and requirements relevant for the Ariel space mission and other exoplanet atmosphere applications
• Characterizing a World Within the Hot-Neptune Desert: Transit Observations of LTT 9779 b with the Hubble Space Telescope/WFC3
• Twinkle: a small satellite spectroscopy mission for the next phase of exoplanet science
• An Automatic Detection Algorithm for Small Craters Based on Morphology