Nicolas Dauphas

He is a professor of geochemistry and cosmochemistry in the Department of the Geophysical Sciences and Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago.

[1] He studies the origin and evolution of planets and other objects in the solar system by analyzing the natural distributions of elements and their isotopes using mass spectrometers.

[13] In 2016, Dauphas received a named professorship from the University of Chicago as the Louis Block professor, Physical Sciences Division.

[19][4] By analyzing the isotopic compositions of stable and radiogenic nuclides in meteorites, Dauphas investigates the timing and processes that lead to the formation of Solar System bodies and the establishment of habitable conditions on Earth and Mars.

[21] He first identified the mineralogical carrier of the 54Cr isotopic anomalies in meteorites as Cr-rich nano-sized spinels from supernovae.

[23][24] Dauphas was part of the preliminary examination team for JAXA's Hayabusa2 mission,[25] which returned a fragment of Ryugu carbonaceous asteroid to Earth for scientific research.