Research

I am broadly interested in how planets form and evolve over time.

In practice, I design numerical and mathematical models that try to capture key aspects of the problem. My work includes modelling of deep interiors of gaseous planets, a model for the accretion of planetary material onto white dwarfs, and recently a model that describes the prograde spin-up of objects that form via gravitational collapse while subject to an external potential (e.g. asteroids, stars in clusters).

Please do contact me with any questions or opportunities to work together.

Selected papers

First Author:

1. How cores grow by pebble accretion. I. Direct core growth (A&A) M. G. Brouwers, A. Vazan, C. Ormel

2. How planets grow by pebble accretion. II. Analytical calculations on the evolution of polluted envelopes (A&A) M. G. Brouwers, C. Ormel

3. How planets grow by pebble accretion. IV. Envelope opacity trends from sedimenting dust and pebbles (A&A) M. G. Brouwers, C. Ormel, A. Bonsor, A. Vazan

4. A road-map to white dwarf pollution: Tidal disruption, eccentric grind-down, and dust accretion (MNRAS)
M. G. Brouwers, A. Bonsor, U. Malamud

5. Prograde spin-up during gravitational collapse (A&A)
R. G. Visser, M. G. Brouwers (co-first authors)

6. Asynchronous accretion can mimic diverse white dwarf pollutants I: core/mantle fragments (submitted)
M. G. Brouwers, A. Bonsor, U. Malamud

7. Asynchronous accretion can mimic diverse white dwarf pollutants II: water content (submitted)
M. G. Brouwers, A. Buchan, A. Bonsor, U. Malamud, E. Lynch, L. Rogers, D. Koester

Co-author:

8. How planets grow by pebble accretion. III. Emergence of an interior composition gradient (A&A)
C. Ormel, A. Vazan, M. G. Brouwers

9. Circularization of tidal debris around white dwarfs: implications for gas production and dust variability (MNRAS)
U. Malamud, E. Grishin, M. G. Brouwers

Qualifications

PhD: Astronomy, University of Cambridge, (2019-Present)

Msc: Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Amsterdam, (2017-2019)

Bsc: Economics, University of Amsterdam, (2013-2017)

Bsc: Physics & Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, (2013-2016)