Faculty Expert Profile

Sarah Hörst's primary research interest is atmospheric chemistry: working to understand the formation and composition of planetary atmospheric hazes.

She is particularly interested in the complex organic chemistry occurring in the atmosphere of Titan, Saturn's moon. Titan is the only planetary satellite with a substantial atmosphere and its atmosphere is both strongly reducing and contains significant quantities of carbon (CH4), nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (CO). This makes it the only planetary-scale laboratory to study the synthesis of complex organic molecules.

Hörst is also interested in complex organics elsewhere in the solar system, whether they are produced in an atmosphere or on a surface. She has completed atmospheric research on Titan, Europa (Jupiter's moon), exoplanets, the early atmosphere of Earth, and Saturn.