Jonathan Tennyson is a physicist whose research covers a range of topics on the theory of small molecules. During the course of his work, Jonathan collides electrons with these small molecules and computes their spectra. He is primarily interested in the astrophysical, atmospheric, plasma-related and other consequences of this process, and his findings are of great importance in astronomy and planetary studies.

Jonathan leads a large and successful research team at UCL who study the way molecules absorb and emit light, with a particular emphasis on astrophysics and the Earth’s atmosphere. He has performed specific calculations for problems relating to atmospheric processes, astrophysics, neutrino mass determination and radiation damage in biological systems, amongst others.

The author of over 600 scientific papers, Jonathan has also written a number of popular science articles. He also wrote the textbook Astronomical Spectroscopy: An Introduction to the Atomic and Molecular Physics of Astronomical Spectra (2005), which enables undergraduate-level readers to understand and interpret astronomical spectra.