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Dr. Allona Vazan, Senior Lecturer

Dr. Allona Vazan
Contact Info

The Open University of Israel Department of Natural Sciences 1 University Road P.O.B. 808 Ra’anana 43107, Israel
Office:972-9-7781247 Academic Building, room 242 Email:vazan@openu.ac.il

Additional Information

A complete and updated publications list can be found in A.Vazan publications at ADS

My CRIS profile

Areas of Interest
  • Planet interior structure and evolution
  • Characterization of exoplanets and solar system planets
  • Planet formation

I am a senior lecturer in physics in the Astrophysics Research Center (ARCO), Department of Natural Sciences. My research focuses on theoretical and computational models of planetary interiors and their evolution in time, from an astrophysical perspective. The aim of my work is to better understand planetary worlds - from super-Earth planets to gas giant planets - by characterizing their properties and their history. My research brings together planet formation theories, observation of exoplanet populations, and knowledge from our solar system. 

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2010 - 2015
PhD in Planetary Science, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University
Thesis:  Evolution of giant planets. 
2008 - 2010
MSc in Planetary Sciences, Summa Cum Laude, Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University
Thesis: The effect of opacity on the evolution of giant planets  
2002 - 2005
BSc in Physics, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
2020 -
Senior Lect Sciences, The Open University of Israelurer, Physics group, Department of Natural
2018-2020
Postdoctoral researcher, Astrophysics and Planetary Science group, Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
2018-2020
Postdoctoral researcher, Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2015-2018
Postdoctoral fellow, Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2025-2027
NSF-BSF research grant for collaborative US-Israel research
2021-2025
Israel Science Foundation research grant
2021
Israel Science Foundation computational equipment grant
2018
Origin of Life Center the Netherlands, research grant (PI)
2015 - 2018
Amsterdam Academic Alliance (AAA) postdoctoral fellowship
2012 - 2015
Ilan Ramon PhD fellowship, Israeli Ministry of Space and Science
2012
Faculty of Exact Sciences award for excellence
2011
Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science award for excellence
2010
Department of Geophysics and Planetary Science award for excellence

A complete and updated publications list can be found in A.Vazan publications at ADS

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Rice D., Steffen J. H., Vazan A. (2024): “The Distribution of Planet Radius in Kepler Multiplanet System Depends on Gap Complexity” – The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 973, Issue 1, id.L4, 9pp. 

Vazan A., Ormel C.W., Brouwers M. G. (2024): “How planets grow by pebble accretion V: Silicate rainout delays contraction of sub-Neptunes” –Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 687, id.A262, 14 pp.    

Barat S., Desert JM., Vazan A., et al. (2024): “The metal-poor atmosphere of a potential sub-Neptune progenitor” – Nature Astronomy, advanced online submission, 86B

Vazan A. & Ormel C.W. (2023): “Rocky sub-Neptunes formed by pebble accretion: Rain of rocks from polluted envelopes” - Asstronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 676, id.L8, 7 pp.

Podolak M., Levi A., Vazan A., Malamud U. (2023): “An equation of state of CO for use in planetary modeling” - Icarus, Volume 394, article id. 115424.

Pan S., Huang T., Vazan A., et al. (2023): “Magnesium oxide-water compounds at megabar pressure and implications on planetary interiors” - Nature Communications, Volume 14, article id. 1165. 

Miguel Y. & Vazan A. (2023) : “Interior and Evolution of the Giant Planets” - Remote Sensing, vol. 15, issue 3, p. 681. 

Vazan A., Sari R., Kessel R. (2022) “A new perspective on interiors of ice-rich planets: Ice-rock mixture rather than ice on top of rock" - The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 926, Issue 2, id.150, 12 pp

Ormel C., Vazan A., Brouwers M. (2021) “How planets grow by pebble accretion. III. Emergence of an interior composition gradient” - Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 647, id.A175, 19 

Vazan A. & Helled R. (2020). “Explaining the low luminosity of Uranus: A self-consistent thermal and structural evolution” - Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 633, id.A50, 10 pp.

Vazan A. & Sari R. (2020). ”On the aspect ratio of ’Oumuamua :regular shape and irregular surface” - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 493, Issue 2, p.1546-1552.

Humphries J., Vazan A., Bonavita M., Helled R., Nayakshin S. (2019). “Constraining the initial planetary population in the gravitational instability model” - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 488, Issue 4, p.4873-4889.

Vazan A., Ormel C. W., Noack L., Dominik C. (2018) “Contribution of the core to the thermal evolution of sub-Neptunes” - The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 869, Issue 2, article id. 163, 11 pp.

Vazan A., Helled R., Guillot T. (2018). “Jupiter's evolution with primordial composition gradients” - Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters, Volume 610, L14.

Vazan A., Ormel C. W., Dominik C. (2018). “Effect of core cooling on the radius of sub-Neptune planets” - Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters, Volume 610, id.L1, 4 pp.

Brouwers M. G., Vazan A., Ormel C. W. (2018). “How cores grow by Pebble Accretion” - Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 611, id.A65, 12 pp.

Vazan A., Helled R., Podolak M., Kovetz A. (2016). "The evolution and internal structure of Jupiter and Saturn with compositional gradients” - The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 829, Issue 2, article id. 118, 11 pp.

Vazan A., Helled R., Kovetz A., Podolak M. (2015). "Convection and mixing in giant planet evolution” - The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 803, Issue 1, article id. 32, 11 pp.

Vazan A., Kovetz A., Podolak M., Helled R. (2013). "The effect of composition on the evolution of giant and intermediate-Mass Planets" - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 434, Issue 4, p.3283-3292.

Vazan A. & Helled R. (2012). "On the evolution and survival of protoplanets embedded in a protoplanetary disk” - The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 756, Issue 1, article id. 90, 11 pp.