Forschungsinteressen
As a geoscientist specializing in cosmochemistry, I analyze the isotopic fingerprints of rare extraterrestrial materials—meteorites, lunar rocks, and martian meteorites—using state-of-the-art, high-precision mass spectrometry. From this isotopic evidence, I reconstruct the earliest chapters of Solar System history, tracing the formation of planetesimals and revealing how their growth and evolution shaped the accretion histories of Earth and Mars.
Vita
Education and Employment:
Since 2024: Postdoc, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research Göttingen, Planetary Science Department
2022 – 2024: PhD, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research Göttingen, Planetary Science Department, Part of the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) and the Integrated Research Training Group in Planetary Sciences of SFB TRR170 - Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets
2019 – 2022: PhD, University of Münster, Part of the Integrated Research Training Group in Planetary Sciences of SFB TRR170 - Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets
2016 – 2019: University of Münster, Master of Science, Geoscience with a focus on geochemistry
2013 – 2016: University of Münster, Bachelor of Science, Geoscience
Selected Publications:
(2) Spitzer F., Burkhardt C., Kruijer T. S. and Kleine T. (2025a) Comparison of the earliest NC and CC planetesimals: Evidence from ungrouped iron meteorites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 397, 134–148.
(3) Spitzer F., Hopp T., Burkhardt C., Dauphas N. and Kleine T. (2025b) The evolution of planetesimal reservoirs revealed by Fe-Ni isotope anomalies in differentiated meteorites. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 667, 119530.
(4) Spitzer F., Kleine T., Burkhardt C., Hopp T., Yokoyama T., Abe Y., Aléon J., O’D Alexander C. M., Amari S., Amelin Y., Bajo K., Bizzarro M., Bouvier A., Carlson R. W., Chaussidon M., Choi B.-G., Dauphas N., Davis A. M., Di Rocco T., Fujiya W., Fukai R., Gautam I., Haba M. K., Hibiya Y., Hidaka H., Homma H., Hoppe P., Huss G. R., Ichida K., Iizuka T., Ireland T. R., Ishikawa A., Itoh S., Kawasaki N., Kita N. T., Kitajima K., Komatani S., Krot A. N., Liu M.-C., Masuda Y., Morita M., Moynier F., Motomura K., Nakai I., Nagashima K., Nguyen A., Nittler L., Onose M., Pack A., Park C., Piani L., Qin L., Russell S. S., Sakamoto N., Schönbächler M., Tafla L., Tang H., Terada K., Terada Y., Usui T., Wada S., Wadhwa M., Walker R. J., Yamashita K., Yin Q.-Z., Yoneda S., Young E. D., Yui H., Zhang A.-C., Nakamura T., Naraoka H., Noguchi T., Okazaki R., Sakamoto K., Yabuta H., Abe M., Miyazaki A., Nakato A., Nishimura M., Okada T., Yada T., Yogata K., Nakazawa S., Saiki T., Tanaka S., Terui F., Tsuda Y., Watanabe S., Yoshikawa M., Tachibana S. and Yurimoto H. (2024) The Ni isotopic composition of Ryugu reveals a common accretion region for carbonaceous chondrites. Sci. Adv. 10, eadp2426.
(5) Anand A., Spitzer F., Hopp T., Windmill R., Kruttasch P., Burkhardt C., Dauphas N., Greenwood R., Hofmann B., Mezger K. and Kleine T. (2024) Isotopic evidence for a common parent body of IIG and IIAB iron meteorites. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 382, 118–127.
(6) Pape J., Zhang B., Spitzer F., Rubin A. and Kleine T. (2023) Isotopic constraints on genetic relationships among group IIIF iron meteorites, Fitzwater Pass, and the Zinder pallasite.
(7) Hopp T., Dauphas N., Spitzer F., Burkhardt C. and Kleine T. (2022) Earth’s accretion inferred from iron isotopic anomalies of supernova nuclear statistical equilibrium origin. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 577.
(8) Spitzer F., Burkhardt C., Pape J. and Kleine T. (2022) Collisional mixing between inner and outer solar system planetesimals inferred from the Nedagolla iron meteorite. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 57, 261–276.
(9) Windmill R. J., Franchi I. A., Hellmann J. L., Schneider J. M., Spitzer F., Kleine T., Greenwood R. C. and Anand M. (2022) Isotopic evidence for pallasite formation by impact mixing of olivine and metal during the first 10 million years of the Solar System. PNAS Nexus.
(10) Burkhardt C., Spitzer F., Morbidelli A., Budde G., Render J. H., Kruijer T. S. and Kleine T. (2021) Terrestrial planet formation from lost inner solar system material. Science Advances 7, 7601.
(11) Spitzer F., Burkhardt C., Nimmo F. and Kleine T. (2021) Nucleosynthetic Pt isotope anomalies and the Hf-W chronology of core formation in inner and outer solar system planetesimals. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 576, 117211.
(12) Spitzer F., Burkhardt C., Budde G., Kruijer T. S., Morbidelli A. and Kleine T. (2020) Isotopic Evolution of the Inner Solar System Inferred from Molybdenum Isotopes in Meteorites. The Astrophysical Journal Letters 898, L2.