A full publication list, along with citations and other metrics, can be found in my library on the NASA Astrophysics Data System.

First Author Papers

  1. MacDonald, R.J., O’Connor, C.E., Boehm, V., et al., 2026, Aerosols and Hydrocarbons in the Atmosphere of a White Dwarf Planet - Nature, 655, 76

  2. *May, E.M. & *MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2023, Double Trouble: Two Transits of the Super-Earth GJ 1132 b Observed with JWST NIRSpec G395H - ApJL, 959, L9 (* = joint first authors)

  3. MacDonald, R.J., 2023, POSEIDON: A Multidimensional Atmospheric Retrieval Code for Exoplanet Spectra - JOSS, 8(81), 4873

  4. MacDonald, R.J. & Lewis, N.K., 2022, TRIDENT: A Rapid 3D Radiative Transfer Model for Exoplanet Transmission Spectra - ApJ, 929, 20

  5. *Kaltenegger, L. & *MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2020, The White Dwarf Opportunity: Robust Detections of Molecules in Earth-like Exoplanet Atmospheres with the James Webb Space Telescope - ApJL, 901, L1 (* = joint first authors)

  6. MacDonald, R.J., Goyal, J.M., & Lewis, N.K., 2020, Why is it So Cold in Here? Explaining the Cold Temperatures Retrieved from Transmission Spectra of Exoplanet Atmospheres - ApJL, 893, L43

  7. MacDonald, R.J. & Madhusudhan, N., 2019, The Metal-Rich Atmosphere of the Exo-Neptune HAT-P-26b - MNRAS, 486, 1292

  8. MacDonald, R.J., Marley, M.S., Fortney, J.J., & Lewis, N.K., 2018, Exploring H2O Prominence in Reflection Spectra of Cool Giant Planets - ApJ, 858, 69

  9. MacDonald, R.J. & Madhusudhan, N., 2017, Signatures of Nitrogen Chemistry in Hot Jupiter Atmospheres - ApJL, 850, L15

  10. MacDonald, R.J. & Madhusudhan, N., 2017, HD 209458b in New Light: Evidence of Nitrogen Chemistry, Patchy Clouds and Sub-Solar Water - MNRAS, 469, 1979

Co-Authored Papers

  1. Mullens, E., MacDonald, R.J., Gemma, M.E., Mishra, I., Gazel, E., Lewis, N.K., 2026, The Rocky Planet Picture Show: Implementation of Surface Reflection and Emission in POSEIDON with Application to and Interpretation of JWST Data - PSJ (in review)

  2. Frazier, R.C., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2026, The Days Drag On on WASP-121 b: Interpreting Its NIRISS Spectroscopic Phase Curve with General Circulation Models - ApJ, 1004, 102

  3. Limbach, M.A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2026, Supersolar Metallicity and Tentative Evidence for Photochemistry on WASP-96 b from JWST and Ground-based VLT Transmission Spectroscopy - AJ, 171, 314

  4. Roy, P.-A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2026, Diversity in the Haziness and Chemistry of Temperate Sub-Neptunes - Nature Astronomy, 10, 371

  5. Allen, N.H., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2026, JWST TRAPPIST-1 e/b Program: Motivation and First Observations - AJ, 171, 105

  6. Pelletier, S., Coulombe, L.-P., Splinter, J., Benneke, B., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2025, Enriched volatiles and refractories but deficient titanium on the day-side atmosphere of WASP-121b revealed by JWST/NIRISS - A&A, 706, A2

  7. Meynardie, W.W., Meyer, M.R., MacDonald, R.J., Calissendorff, P., Mullens, E., et al., 2025, Ross 458 C: Gas Giant or Brown Dwarf? - ApJ, 994, 237

  8. Splinter, J., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, Precise Constraints on the Energy Budget of WASP-121 b from Its JWST NIRISS/SOSS Phase Curve - AJ, 170, 323

  9. Schmidt, S.P., MacDonald, R.J., Tsai, S.-M., Radica, M., Wang, L.-C., et al., 2025, A Comprehensive Reanalysis of K2-18 b's JWST NIRISS+NIRSpec Transmission Spectrum - AJ, 170, 298

  10. Gressier, A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, JWST-TST DREAMS: Sulfur Dioxide in the Atmosphere of the Neptune-mass Planet HAT-P-26 b from NIRSpec G395H Transmission Spectroscopy - AJ, 170, 292

  11. Bennett, K., MacDonald, R.J., Peacock, S., Perez, J., May, E.M., et al., 2025, Additional JWST/NIRSpec Transits of the Rocky M Dwarf Exoplanet GJ 1132 b Reveal a Featureless Spectrum - AJ, 170, 205

  12. Glidden, A., Ranjan, S., Seager, S., Espinoza, N., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2025, JWST-TST DREAMS: Secondary Atmosphere Constraints for the Habitable Zone Planet TRAPPIST-1 e - ApJL, 990, L53

  13. Espinoza, N., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, JWST-TST DREAMS: NIRSpec/PRISM Transmission Spectroscopy of the Habitable Zone Planet TRAPPIST-1 e - ApJL, 990, L52

  14. Gascón, C., López-Morales, M., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2025, The HUSTLE Program: The UV to Near-IR Transmission Spectrum of the Hot Jupiter KELT-7b - AJ, 170, 178

  15. Piaulet-Ghorayeb, C., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, Strict Limits on Potential Secondary Atmospheres on the Temperate Rocky Exo-Earth TRAPPIST-1 d - ApJ, 989, 181

  16. Noti, P.A., Lee, E.K.H., Kitzmann, D., MacDonald, R.J., Jenkins, S., et al., 2025, Modelling the 3D atmospheric structure of the cold Jupiter WD1856+534b orbiting a white dwarf - MNRAS, staf1119

  17. Taylor, J., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, JWST NIRISS transmission spectroscopy of the super-Earth GJ 357b, a favourable target for atmospheric retention - MNRAS, 540, 3677

  18. †Wang, R., MacDonald, R.J., Gibson, N.P., & Lewis, N.K., 2025, Open-source High-resolution Exoplanet Atmosphere Retrievals with POSEIDON - AJ, 169, 328 († student supervised by MacDonald, R.J.)

  19. Roos-Serote, M., Wilson, C.F., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2025, Context images for Venus Express radio occultation measurements: A search for a correlation between temperature structure and UV contrasts in the clouds of Venus - A&A, 698, A198

  20. Fournier-Tondreau M., †Pan, Y., Morel, K., Lafrenière, D., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2025, Transmission Spectroscopy of WASP-52 b with JWST NIRISS: Water and Helium Atmospheric Absorption, Alongside Prominent Star-spot Crossings - MNRAS, 539, 422 († student supervised by MacDonald, R.J.)

  21. Ahrer, E., Radica, M., Piaulet-Ghorayeb, C., †Raul, E., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, Escaping Helium and a Highly Muted Spectrum Suggest a Metal-enriched Atmosphere on Sub-Neptune GJ 3090 b from JWST Transit Spectroscopy - ApJL, 985, L10 († student supervised by MacDonald, R.J.)

  22. Limbach, M.A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, Thermal Emission and Confirmation of the Frigid White Dwarf Exoplanet WD 1856+534 b - ApJL, 984, L28

  23. Coulombe, L., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, Highly Reflective White Clouds on the Western Dayside of an Exo-Neptune - Nature Astronomy, 9, 512

  24. Bello-Arufe, A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, Evidence for a Volcanic Atmosphere on the Sub-Earth L 98-59 b - ApJL, 980, L26

  25. Bennett, K.A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, An HST Transmission Spectrum of the Closest M-Dwarf Transiting Rocky Planet LTT 1445Ab - AJ, 169, 111

  26. Louie, D.R., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, JWST-TST DREAMS: A Precise Water Abundance for Hot Jupiter WASP-17b from the NIRISS SOSS Transmission Spectrum - AJ, 169, 86

  27. Gressier, A., MacDonald, R.J., Espinoza, N., Wakeford, H.R., Lewis, N.K., et al., 2025, JWST-TST DREAMS: A Super-Solar Metallicity in WASP-17 b Dayside Atmosphere from NIRISS SOSS Eclipse Spectroscopy - AJ, 169, 57

  28. Boehm, V.A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2025, The HUSTLE Program: The UV to Near-infrared HST WFC3/UVIS G280 Transmission Spectrum of WASP-127b - AJ, 169, 23

  29. †Mullens, E., Lewis, N.K., & MacDonald, R.J., & 2024, Implementation of Aerosol Mie Scattering in POSEIDON with Application to the Hot Jupiter HD 189733 b's Transmission, Emission, and Reflected Light Spectrum - ApJ, 977, 105 († student supervised by MacDonald, R.J.)

  30. †Kappelmeier, J.A., MacDonald, R.J., & Lewis, N.K., 2024, From the Shadows: The Impact of Nightside Thermal Emission on Ultrahot Jupiter Transmission Spectrum Retrievals - ApJ, 975, 61 († student supervised by MacDonald, R.J.)

  31. †Agrawal, A. & MacDonald, R.J., 2024, Cthulhu: An Open Source Molecular and Atomic Cross Section Computation Code for Substellar Atmospheres - JOSS, 9(102), 6894 († student supervised by MacDonald, R.J.)

  32. Piaulet-Ghorayeb, C., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2024, JWST/NIRISS Reveals the Water-rich "Steam World" Atmosphere of GJ 9827 d - ApJL, 974, L10

  33. Limbach, M.A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2024, The MIRI Exoplanets Orbiting White dwarfs (MEOW) Survey: Mid-infrared Excess Reveals a Giant Planet Candidate around a Nearby White Dwarf - ApJL, 973, L11

  34. Valentine, D., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2024, JWST-TST DREAMS: Nonuniform Dayside Emission for WASP-17b from MIRI/LRS - AJ, 168, 123

  35. Espinoza, N., Steinrueck, M.E., Kirk, J., MacDonald, R.J., Savel, A.B., et al., 2024, Inhomogeneous Terminators on the Exoplanet WASP-39 b - Nature, 632, 1017

  36. Cadieux, C., Doyon, R., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2024, Transmission Spectroscopy of the Habitable Zone Exoplanet LHS 1140 b with JWST/NIRISS - ApJL, 970, L2

  37. Cugno, G., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2024, Mid-Infrared Spectrum of the Disk around the Forming Companion GQ Lup B Revealed by JWST/MIRI - ApJL, 966, L21

  38. Fairman, C., Wakeford, H.R., & MacDonald, R.J., 2024, The Importance of Optical Wavelength Data on Atmospheric Retrievals of Exoplanet Transmission Spectra - AJ, 167, 240

  39. Benneke, B., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2024, JWST Reveals CH4, CO2, and H2O in a Metal-rich Miscible Atmosphere on a Two-Earth-Radius Exoplanet - (submitted)

  40. Kirk, J., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2024, JWST/NIRCam Transmission Spectroscopy of the Nearby Sub-Earth GJ 341b - AJ, 167, 90

  41. Powell, D., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2024, Sulfur Dioxide in the Mid-Infrared Transmission Spectrum of WASP-39b - Nature, 626, 979

  42. Fournier-Tondreau, M., MacDonald, R.J., Radica, M., Lafrenière, D., Welbanks, L., et al., 2024, Near-Infrared Transmission Spectroscopy of HAT-P-18b with NIRISS: Disentangling Planetary and Stellar Features in the Era of JWST - MNRAS, 528, 3354

  43. Lustig-Yaeger, J., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, A JWST Transmission Spectrum of a Nearby Earth-sized Exoplanet - Nature Astronomy, 7, 1317

  44. Grant D., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, JWST-TST DREAMS: Quartz Clouds in the Atmosphere of WASP-17b - ApJL, 956, L29

  45. Deibert E.K, et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, ExoGemS High-Resolution Transmission Spectroscopy of WASP-76b with GRACES - AJ, 166, 141

  46. †Gomez Barrientos, J., Kaltenegger, L., & MacDonald, R.J., 2023, A Venus in the Making? Predictions for JWST Observations of the Ultracool M-Dwarf Planet LP 890-9~c - MNRAS: Letters, 524, L5 († student supervised by MacDonald, R.J.)

  47. Radica, M., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, Awesome SOSS: Transmission Spectroscopy of WASP-96b with NIRISS/SOSS - MNRAS, 524, 835

  48. Taylor, J., Radica, M., Welbanks, L., MacDonald, R.J., Blecic, J., et al., 2023, Awesome SOSS: Atmospheric Characterization of WASP-96b Using the JWST Early Release Observations - MNRAS, 524, 817

  49. Lim, O., Benneke, B., Doyon, R., MacDonald, R.J., Piaulet, C., et al., 2023, Atmospheric Reconnaissance of TRAPPIST-1 b with JWST/NIRISS: Evidence for Strong Stellar Contamination in the Transmission Spectra - ApJL, 955, L22

  50. Coulombe, L., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, A Broadband Thermal Emission Spectrum of the Ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-18b - Nature, 620, 292

  51. Flagg, L., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution - ApJL, 953, L19

  52. Albert, L., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, The Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph for the James Webb Space Telescope -- III. Single Object Slitless Spectroscopy - PASP, 135, 075001

  53. Libralato, M., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, JWST-TST Proper Motions: I. High-Precision NIRISS Calibration and Large Magellanic Cloud Kinematics - ApJ, 950, 101

  54. Moran, S.E. & Stevenson, K.B., Sing, D.K., MacDonald, R.J., Kirk J., et al., 2023, High Tide or Riptide on the Cosmic Shoreline? A Water-rich Atmosphere or Stellar Contamination for the Warm Super-Earth GJ 486b from JWST Observations - ApJL, 948, L11

  55. †Gomez Barrientos, J., MacDonald, R.J., Lewis, N.K., & Kaltenegger, L., 2023, In Search of the Edge: A Bayesian Exploration of the Detectability of Red Edges in Exoplanet Reflection Spectra - ApJ, 946, 96 († student supervised by MacDonald, R.J.)

  56. Ridden-Harper, A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, High-Resolution Transmission Spectroscopy of the Terrestrial Exoplanet GJ 486b - AJ, 165, 170

  57. Feinstein, A., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, Early Release Science of the exoplanet WASP-39b with JWST NIRISS - Nature, 614, 670

  58. Alderson, L., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, Early Release Science of the Exoplanet WASP-39b with JWST NIRSpec G395H - Nature, 614, 664

  59. Rustamkulov, Z., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, Early Release Science of the exoplanet WASP-39b with JWST NIRSpec PRISM - Nature, 614, 659

  60. Ahrer, E., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, Early Release Science of the exoplanet WASP-39b with JWST NIRCam - Nature, 614, 653

  61. The JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Team et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2023, Identification of Carbon Dioxide in an Exoplanet Atmosphere - Nature, 614, 649

  62. Rackham, B., Espinoza, N., Berdyugina, S.V., Korhonen, H., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2023, The Effect of Stellar Contamination on Low-resolution Transmission Spectroscopy: Needs Identified by NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program Study Analysis Group 21 - RASTI, 2, 148

  63. Wong, I., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2022, The Hubble PanCET Program: A Featureless Transmission Spectrum for WASP-29b and Evidence of Enhanced Atmospheric Metallicity on WASP-80b - AJ, 164, 30

  64. Alderson, A., Wakeford, H.R., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2022, A Comprehensive Analysis of WASP-17b's Transmission Spectrum from Space-Based Observations - MNRAS, 512, 4185

  65. Barstow, J.K., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2022, A Retrieval Challenge Exercise for the Ariel Mission - Experimental Astronomy

  66. Foote, T.O., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2022, The Emission Spectrum of the Hot Jupiter WASP-79b from HST/WFC3 - AJ, 163, 7

  67. Goyal, J.M., Lewis, N.K., Wakeford, H.R., MacDonald, R.J., & Mayne N.M., 2021, Why is it So Hot in Here? Exploring Population Trends in Spitzer Thermal Emission Observations of Hot Jupiters Using Planet-specific, Self-consistent Atmospheric Models - ApJ, 923, 242

  68. Xu, S., *Diamond-Lowe, H., *MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2021, Gemini/GMOS Transmission Spectroscopy of the Grazing Planet Candidate WD 1856+534 b - AJ, 162, 296 (* = joint second authors)

  69. Mishra, I., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2021, A Comprehensive Revisit of Select Galileo/NIMS Observations of Europa - PSJ, 2, 183

  70. Deibert, E.K., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2021, Detection of Ionized Calcium in the Atmosphere of the Ultra-Hot Jupiter WASP-76b - ApJL, 919, L15

  71. Rathcke, A.D., MacDonald, R.J., Barstow, J.K, et al., 2021, HST PanCET Program: A Complete Near-UV to Infrared Transmission Spectrum for the Hot Jupiter WASP-79b - AJ, 162, 138

  72. Lin, Z., MacDonald, R.J., Kaltenegger, L., & Wilson, D.J., 2021, Differentiating Modern and Prebiotic Earth Scenarios for TRAPPIST-1e: High-resolution Transmission Spectra and Predictions for JWST - MNRAS, 505, 3562

  73. Sedaghati, E., MacDonald, R.J., Casasayas-Barris, N., et al., 2021, A Spectral Survey of WASP-19b with ESPRESSO - MNRAS, 505, 435

  74. Kirk, J., Rackham, B., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2021, ACCESS and LRG-BEASTS: A Precise New Optical Transmission Spectrum of the Ultrahot Jupiter WASP-103b - AJ, 162, 34

  75. Weaver, I., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2021, ACCESS: An Optical Transmission Spectrum of the High-gravity Hot Jupiter HAT-P-23b - AJ, 161, 278

  76. Mishra, I., Lewis, N.K., Lunine, J., Helfenstein, P., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2021, Bayesian Analysis of Juno/JIRAM's NIR Observations of Europa - Icarus, 357, 114215

  77. Alam, M.K., Lopez-Morales, M., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2021, Evidence of a Clear Atmosphere for WASP-62b: The Only Known Transiting Gas Giant in the JWST Continuous Viewing Zone - ApJL, 906, L10

  78. Lewis, N.K., Wakeford, H.R., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2020, Into the UV: The Atmosphere of the Hot Jupiter HAT-P-41b Revealed - ApJL, 902, L19

  79. Molaverdikhani, K., Helling, Ch., Lew, B.W.P., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2020, Understanding the Atmospheric Properties and Chemical Composition of the Ultra-Hot Jupiter HAT-P-7b: II. Mapping the Effects of Gas Kinetics - A&A, 635, A31

  80. Helling, Ch., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2019, Understanding the Atmospheric Properties and Chemical Composition of the Ultra-Hot Jupiter HAT-P-7b: I. Cloud and Chemistry Mapping - A&A, 631, A79

  81. Pinhas, A., Madhusudhan, N., Gandhi, S., & MacDonald, R.J., 2019, H2O Abun-
    dances and Cloud Properties in Ten Hot Giant Exoplanets     - MNRAS, 482, 1485

  82. Kilpatrick, B.M., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2018, Community Targets of JWST's Early Release Science Program: Evaluation of WASP-63b - AJ, 156, 103

  83. Sedaghati, E., Boffin, H.M.J., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2017, Detection of Titanium Oxide in the Atmosphere of a Hot Jupiter - Nature, 549, 238

Reports

  1. Rackham, B., Espinoza, N., Berdyugina, S.V., Korhonen, H., MacDonald, R.J., et al., 2022, Final Report for SAG 21: The Effect of Stellar Contamination on Space-based Transmission Spectroscopy - NASA Exoplanet Analysis Group SAG 21 Report

  2. Tinetti, G., et al. (including MacDonald, R.J.), 2020, Ariel: Enabling Planetary Science Across Light-Years - ESA Ariel Mission Definition Study Report

Research Notes

  1. MacDonald, R.J. & Batalha, N.E., 2023, A Catalog of Exoplanet Atmospheric Retrieval Codes - RNAAS, 7, 54