Positions
- 2025 – · Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo. MSCA fellowship within the UiO DSTrain (Data Science Training) programme. Project: PROMISES — PolaRized view Of the MagnetIc heartS of Extreme galaxieS (Grant Agreement #101126636).
- 2021 – 2025 · Postdoctoral Researcher, Leiden Observatory & Chalmers University of Technology. VR International Postdoc grant (3 years, 3.45 MSEK). Project: A polarized view on stars, planets and life.
Education
- 2021 · PhD in Astronomy, Chalmers University of Technology. Thesis: Tracing cosmic magnetic fields using molecules. Advisor: Prof. Wouter Vlemmings.
- 2015 · MSc in Theoretical Chemistry (minor in Physics), Radboud University Nijmegen. Thesis: Hyperfine structure and Zeeman effects in methanol. Advisors: Prof. Gerrit C. Groenenboom and Prof. Ad van der Avoird. Awarded the KNCV Golden Master award (best Master Thesis in Chemistry in the Netherlands).
- 2015 · Radboud University Honours Programme — exchange to the University of Warwick. Project on quantum-mechanical smoothing of aqueous nano-droplets via path-integral molecular dynamics. Advisor: Dr. Scott Habershon.
- 2013 · BSc in Chemistry (minor in Physics), Radboud University Nijmegen. Thesis on Equation-of-Motion Coupled-Cluster calculations of NaHe⁺ and ScHe⁺. Advisor: Prof. Gerrit C. Groenenboom.
Grants & fellowships
- 2025 – · Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowship (COFUND), within the UiO DSTrain programme. Grant Agreement #101126636.
- 2021 – 2025 · Swedish Research Council (VR) International Postdoc grant. Three years, 3.45 MSEK. Hosts: Chalmers University of Technology and Leiden Observatory.
Awards & peer recognition
- 2021/2022 · Selected to attend the 70th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (national selection; visit funded by the Ragnar Söderberg Foundation).
- 2021 · ESO Hypatia Colloquium — competitively selected colloquium series for early-career scientists.
- 2015 · KNCV Golden Master award — best MSc thesis of the year in Chemistry (Netherlands).
- 2015 · Radboud University Honours Programme (with funding for an international exchange).
Invited talks
A selected list lives on the Talks page.
Academic service
- 2018 – 2020 · Member, Institution Council, Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology.
- 2017 – 2019 · Member, PhD Council, Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology.
- 2019 · Local Organizing Committee, Astrochemistry: From Nanometers to Megaparsecs — A Symposium in Honor of John H. Black.
- 2019 · Local Organizing Committee, From Stars to Planets II — Connecting our Understanding of Star and Planet Formation.
- 2022 · Promotion committee for Mathieu Besemer (Radboud University).
- Refereeing — ~20 papers for Nature, Nature Astronomy, Nature Communications, ApJ, MNRAS, and A&A.
Public outreach
- Interviews for Dutch national radio (Radio 1); features in Elsevier Weekblad and ETC Göteborg.
- Public lectures at the Gothenburg Science Festival and for the local Astronomy Club.
- Tours and high-school engagement (Swedish prao programme) at Onsala Space Observatory.
- Popular-science video Magnetic secrets of methanol in space — accompanied my Nature Astronomy publication; ≳18,000 combined views across YouTube and Facebook.
Memberships
- International Astronomical Union (2021 –)
- European Astronomical Society (2025 –)
- Maser Monitoring Organisation (2025 –)
Languages
- English, Swedish — fluent
- Dutch — native
- German — limited working proficiency
Computational skills
- Python (NumPy, SciPy, pandas)
- Fortran, MATLAB
- C / C++ (limited)
- Astronomy: CASA, Astropy
- Quantum chemistry: CFOUR, DARWIN
Selected publications
11 first-author and 16 co-authored peer-reviewed publications; ≈460 citations, h-index 12, i10 16 (Google Scholar). Full list: Google Scholar · ORCID. Plain-language summaries of selected work live on the Papers page.
- Lankhaar, B. (2026). A quantum theory of the alignment and polarization of very small dust grains. Under review at A&A. arXiv:2604.26001 — sole author.
- Teague, R., Lankhaar, B., Andrews, S. M., et al. (2025). A radially resolved magnetic field threading the disk of TW Hya. ApJL 991, L6. DOI — developed the observational method and the fitting scheme to extract field information from the data.
- Lankhaar, B., Aalto, S., Wethers, C., et al. (2024). The fountain of the LIRG Zw049.057 as traced by its OH megamaser. A&A 689, A163. DOI — first author.
- Lankhaar, B., Surcis, G., Vlemmings, W., Impellizzeri, V. (2024). Maser polarization through anisotropic pumping. A&A 683, A117. DOI — first comprehensive code for polarized maser modelling: devised the method, wrote the code, ran the simulations and the paper.
- Lankhaar, B., Teague, R. (2023). Three-dimensional magnetic field imaging of protoplanetary disks using Zeeman broadening and linear polarization observations. A&A 678, A17. DOI — co-developed the Zeeman-broadening method, performed the simulations, wrote the paper.
- Houde, M., Lankhaar, B., Rajabi, F., Chamma, M.A. (2022). The generation and transformation of polarization signals in molecular lines through collective anisotropic resonant scattering. MNRAS 511, 295. DOI — co-developed the formalism for forward resonance scattering.
- Lankhaar, B., Vlemmings, W. H. T. (2020). PORTAL: Three-dimensional polarized (sub)millimeter line radiative transfer. A&A 636, A14. DOI — introduced the PORTAL code; conceptualised the approximations, wrote the code, wrote the paper.
- Lankhaar, B., Vlemmings, W. H. T. (2020). Collisional polarization of molecular ions: a signpost of ambipolar diffusion. A&A 638, L7. DOI — proposed and developed the collisional-polarization method, currently the most sensitive diagnostic of ambipolar diffusion.
- Larsson, R., Lankhaar, B., Eriksson, P. (2019). Updated Zeeman-effect splitting coefficients for molecular oxygen in planetary applications. JQSRT 224, 431. DOI — set up the model of O₂’s Zeeman effect for atmospheric remote sensing.
- Vlemmings, W. H. T., Lankhaar, B., Cazzoletti, P., et al. (2019). Stringent limits on the magnetic field strength in the disc of TW Hya — ALMA observations of CN polarisation. A&A 624, L7. DOI — performed the modelling of the observations; wrote the appendix.
- Lankhaar, B., Vlemmings, W. H. T., Surcis, G., et al. (2018). Characterization of methanol as a magnetic field tracer in star-forming regions. Nature Astronomy 2, 145. DOI — performed the quantum-chemical Zeeman modelling; reinterpreted a decade of methanol-maser circular-polarization data.
References
Available on request, or see the PDF CV.