The UKPF Early Career Researcher Medal
The UKPF Early Career Medal will be awarded each year to an early career researcher at an institution in the UK who has published an outstanding research contribution in a peer-reviewed journal within the broad fields of planetary science.
The UKPF are thrilled to announce the recipient of the 2026 UKPF Early Career Medal is Dr Tom Barrett, for the work titled “Probing the early lunar crust: volatile measurements in paired troctolites”. The panel were impressed not only by the far-reaching significance of this work for understanding lunar volatiles, but also by the development of an innovative analytical technique that stands to benefit many other areas of laboratory and sample-based planetary science.
Reflecting the large number of high-quality submissions to this inaugural award, we are also delighted to announce a Highly Commended mention to Dr Harrison Nicholls, for the work titled “Volatile-rich evolution of molten super-Earth L 98-59 d”.
We hope you will join us in congratulating them both! Please see below for summaries of their work.
Dr Barrett delivered a keynote talk at this year’s BPSC in St Andrews and was presented with their award during the conference.
The judging panel thoroughly enjoyed reading through and deliberating on the applications, all of which were of very high quality and are a strong demonstration of the world-leading excellence and breadth of work in our Early Career community.
Thank you to all who applied or nominated others. We had an excellent response to the inaugural UKPF ECR Medal and we highly encourage anyone who was unsuccessful this year to apply again next time – and encourage even more applications for the next round!
Congratulations to Dr Barrett and Dr Nicholls again.
The UKPF are thrilled to announce the recipient of the 2026 UKPF Early Career Medal is Dr Tom Barrett, for the work titled “Probing the early lunar crust: volatile measurements in paired troctolites”. The panel were impressed not only by the far-reaching significance of this work for understanding lunar volatiles, but also by the development of an innovative analytical technique that stands to benefit many other areas of laboratory and sample-based planetary science.
Reflecting the large number of high-quality submissions to this inaugural award, we are also delighted to announce a Highly Commended mention to Dr Harrison Nicholls, for the work titled “Volatile-rich evolution of molten super-Earth L 98-59 d”.
We hope you will join us in congratulating them both! Please see below for summaries of their work.
Dr Barrett delivered a keynote talk at this year’s BPSC in St Andrews and was presented with their award during the conference.
The judging panel thoroughly enjoyed reading through and deliberating on the applications, all of which were of very high quality and are a strong demonstration of the world-leading excellence and breadth of work in our Early Career community.
Thank you to all who applied or nominated others. We had an excellent response to the inaugural UKPF ECR Medal and we highly encourage anyone who was unsuccessful this year to apply again next time – and encourage even more applications for the next round!
Congratulations to Dr Barrett and Dr Nicholls again.
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UKPF ECR Medal Winner – Dr Tom Barrett
Probing the early lunar crust: volatile measurements in paired troctolites. Volatile elements (e.g. H, C, Cl and S) play an essential role in planetary evolution and significantly influence geological activity. Understanding their distribution, origin and evolution is important for reconstructing a rocky body’s history and provides insight into larger Solar System processes. This study investigates how much water and other volatile elements (C, F, S and Cl) were present in the Moon’s early crust by analysing lunar meteorites called troctolites. These rocks contain plagioclase, a common mineral that holds only tiny amounts of volatiles but, because it is so abundant, can represent a major hidden reservoir. Troctolites are also a possible rock type that may be found at future Artemis landing sites on the lunar far side. Using high-precision techniques, the authors measured extremely low concentrations (generally less than 5 parts per million) of volatiles in three related meteorites. Despite the low concentrations in the minerals themselves, calculations suggest the magmas they formed from may have contained significantly more volatiles. Importantly, the results support a growing narrative of a Moon where volatiles are not evenly distributed in the interior. Overall, the work supports a view of the Moon as more chemically diverse, and potentially more volatile-rich in places, than previously thought. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1144/gslspecpub2025-5) |
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UKPF ECR Medal Highly Commended – Dr Harrison Nicholls
Volatile-rich evolution of molten super-Earth L 98-59 d. The frontier populations Super-Earth and sub-Neptune exoplanets are the galaxy's most common planets, yet are absent from the Solar System. My PhD research, published in Nature Astronomy, challenges the existing "gas-dwarf" versus "water-world" interpretive framework of these planets by developing a novel, fully-coupled interior-atmosphere planetary evolution model. I conducted a rigorous simulation grid to reconstruct the 5-Gyr history of super-Earth L98-59d: the first rocky exoplanet with detected sulfur species. My discovery demonstrates that L98-59d maintains a permanent magma ocean, despite its modest irradiation, facilitating direct chemical exchange between its deep interior geochemistry and observable atmosphere. My modelling reveals that this planet transitioned, throughout its lifetime, from a sub-Neptune to a super-Earth through atmospheric degassing and loss. This discovery marks the first identification of this previously-theorised transition for a specific planet. Establishing sulfur as a critical tracer for mantle redox geochemistry, I identify a potential "sulfur world" population of planets which challenges the gas-dwarf/water-world paradigm. My boundary-pushing approach, which received international press, provides comprehensive understanding of volatile cycling and photochemistry which shapes all rocky planets throughout their lives (including early Earth). I offer a framework for interpreting soon-approaching data from JWST, PLATO, and Ariel, to continue expanding the frontiers of planetary science. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02815-8) |
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