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Kurokawa Lab
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The lab unravels the birth and evolution of planets through theory and simulation.
AboutAbout the lab
How did Earth and Mars form?
The Kurokawa Lab studies the origin and evolution of planets at the Komaba Campus.
Its targets are wide-ranging, from terrestrial planets such as Earth and Mars to gas giants, ice giants, small bodies, and the protoplanetary disks where planets are born.
The main methods are theoretical modeling and computer simulation, and the lab also collaborates with researchers in experiments, observations, and planetary exploration.
The lab also takes part in solar system exploration missions such as Hayabusa2 and MMX.
Key terms
- Protoplanetary disk
- A disk of gas and dust surrounding a newborn star. It is the setting where planets form.
- Planetesimal
- A small body, about a kilometer in size, that serves as a building block of planets.
- Terrestrial planet
- A rocky planet. In the solar system, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are terrestrial planets.
NewsLab news
Graduate admissions guidance session for the Department of Earth and Planetary Science held at Hongo Campus and online
Graduate admissions information session for the Department of Multidisciplinary Sciences held at Komaba Campus and online
ResearchResearch themes
The lab studies the origin and evolution of planets through theoretical modeling and computer simulation. Its targets range widely, from terrestrial planets to gas giants, small bodies, and protoplanetary disks.
*Illustrative imageHydrodynamics of Protoplanetary Disks
Using supercomputers, the lab runs detailed simulations of gas flow in protoplanetary disks, the setting where planets are born. It investigates how disk gas accretes onto protoplanets and how this affects the accumulation of dust.
*Illustrative imageAccretion of Protoplanets
Through orbital dynamics calculations, the lab investigates how dust, pebbles, and planetesimals gather onto planetary "seeds" to form planets. Combined with hydrodynamic simulations, this explores the sizes and rotational properties of the resulting planets.
*Illustrative imageAnalysis of Asteroid Observation Data
The lab analyzes observational data on asteroids obtained by spacecraft and telescopes, and combines it with simulations of water-rock reactions occurring inside them. It investigates where and how asteroids and the parent bodies of meteorites formed.
*Illustrative imageOrigin of Atmospheres and Oceans on Terrestrial Planets
Using theoretical models, the lab investigates how the composition of volatile elements, the source of atmospheres and oceans, is determined by their supply and loss through impacts and by their partitioning and cycling within planetary interiors.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Kurokawa Lab consist of faculty, researchers, and doctoral and master's students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorHiroyuki KurokawaPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
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RelatedLabs similar to Kurokawa Lab
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Ikoma Lab (Exoplanet Theory Group)Faculty of Science, Department of Earth and Planetary PhysicsPlanetary science, exoplanets, planet formation, and theoret…The information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images.
- Top image: “HL Tau protoplanetary disk” ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Hydrodynamics of Protoplanetary Disks: “HD 163296 protoplanetary disk by ALMA (16CB25B)” ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); A. Isella; B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Accretion of Protoplanets: “Planetesimal Collison Around Star HD 166191 (Illustration)” NASA/JPL-Caltech / Public domain (cropped)
- Analysis of Asteroid Observation Data: “Images of asteroid Ryugu from the wide angle Optical Navigation Cameras (ONC-W1 and ONC-W2) via Hayabusa2” JAXA ほか
（は やぶさ2 ONCチーム） / CC BY 4.0 (cropped) - Origin of Atmospheres and Oceans on Terrestrial Planets: “The Earth seen from Apollo 17” NASA / Apollo 17 crew / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Fujii Lab): “Artist's impression of the planet orbiting Proxima Centauri (eso1629e)” ESO/M. Kornmesser / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Tachibana Lab): “HL Tau protoplanetary disk” ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Seki Lab): “Aurora Australis From ISS” ISS Expedition 23 crew / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Ikoma Lab (Exoplanet Theory Group)): “Artist's Impression of Kepler 138 Planetary System (2022-048)” NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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