2026 Brouwer Award Winner - Yanqin Lu

The American Astronomical Society’s Division on Dynamical Astronomy (DDA) is pleased to award the 2026 Dirk Brouwer Prize to Professor Yanqin Wu for transformative contributions to planetary-system dynamics, combining deep physical insight, elegant theoretical work, and sophisticated numerical techniques to illuminate the dynamical evolution of planets, stars, and disks. Her work spans tidal dissipation in planets and stars, stellar and planetary oscillations, debris disks, and the dynamics of extrasolar planetary systems, consistently connecting fundamental dynamical theory with forefront observations.

With collaborators, she demonstrated the role of photo-evaporation in shaping the observed exoplanet population, work that has had a profound and lasting impact on the field. She also made foundational contributions to our understanding of planetary migration and dynamical evolution, including mechanisms that helped establish the modern framework of high-eccentricity migration for the formation of hot Jupiters.

In addition to her scientific achievements, Prof. Wu has been an exceptional mentor and educator, supervising and inspiring many undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral scholars, many of whom have gone on to successful scientific careers.

Dr. Wu will be invited to give a lecture at the 58th annual DDA meeting, which will be held in Bloomington, Indiana in May 2027.