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Trifon Trifonov (born 15 August 1985) is a Bulgarian astronomer and astrophysicist, specializing in the discovery and characterization of extrasolar planets (exoplanets)^[1]. He holds research positions at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Department of Astronomy at Sofia University in Bulgaria. His contributions include leading exoplanet discovery teams, developing analytical software, and engaging in multinational partnerships aimed at advancing the study of planets beyond our solar system ^[2].

Trifon Trifonov was born in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. He studied at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski," where he obtained a BSc degree in Physics in 2008 and an MSc in Astronomy and Astrophysics in 2009. He later moved to Germany and completed his Ph.D. in Astronomy from Heidelberg University in 2014. His doctoral thesis focused on planetary dynamics and high-precision spectroscopy for detecting exoplanets around giant stars.

Following his doctoral studies, Trifonov began his international research career. From 2014 to 2016, he worked as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Hong Kong, expanding his expertise in exoplanet detection techniques. In 2016, he joined the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, as a postdoctoral researcher in the Planet and Star Formation department. At MPIA, he worked under the mentorship of Prof. Thomas Henning, focusing on the discovery and characterization of exoplanetary systems.

His research involves detecting multi-planet systems using radial velocity and transit photometry methods, conducting numerical orbital modeling, and performing N-body simulations to understand planetary system dynamics. He is a key member of the CARMENES consortium, which operates a dedicated spectrograph for surveying M-dwarf stars for planets.

In addition to his work at MPIA, Trifonov maintains an active role in Bulgarian science. He is a researcher at Sofia University and leads the EXO-RESTART project ^[3], a scientific initiative supported by the Bulgarian Science Fund ^[4]. As of 2023, his team had discovered 17 new exoplanets using data from space- and ground-based telescopes.

Trifon Trifonov has been a leading figure in several important exoplanet discoveries. In 2021, he was the lead author of a paper in the journal Science announcing the discovery of Gliese 486b, a rocky super-Earth exoplanet located 26 light-years from Earth ^[5]. This planet is notable for its potential to retain an atmosphere and for its suitability for detailed atmospheric characterization, making it a valuable target for future studies. Trifonov described it as a potential "Rosetta Stone" for exoplanet science.^[6]

In 2025, Trifonov was a co-discoverer of a multi-planet system known as TOI-4504, located approximately 1,100 light-years away. This system includes three new exoplanets and is considered highly important for understanding the evolution of multi-planet systems. ^[7] He also played a key role in the discovery of two exoplanets orbiting the star TOI-2202.

His total scientific output includes numerous peer-reviewed publications in top astrophysical journals. He has also developed the open-source software Exo-Striker ^[8], which is widely used in the community for modeling and simulating exoplanetary orbits.

Dr. Trifonov is actively involved in public outreach and science communication. He has delivered lectures for both academic and public audiences, including a talk at Sofia University titled "Exoplanet Systems: Chaos and Order Around the Stars." He frequently appears in Bulgarian media to discuss recent astronomical discoveries. Notably, he was interviewed by Bulgarian National Television and Bulgarian National Radio following the discovery of Gliese 486b ^[9].

He is also credited with fostering international scientific collaboration, organizing academic events such as the Planetary Dynamics Conference in Heidelberg in 2019, and mentoring students and junior researchers in both Bulgaria and Germany.

Trifonov's contributions have earned him international recognition. In 2020, he received the Young Scientist Prize in Physics from the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities. The award was given in recognition of his outstanding research on extrasolar planets ^[10]. He has also received fellowships from the Bulgarian National Science Program and the International Max Planck Research School for Astronomy.

First-Author Publications:

• Trifonov, T., et al. (2021). "A nearby transiting rocky exoplanet that is suitable for atmospheric investigation." Science, 371(6533), 1038–1041.
• Trifonov, T., Rybizki, J., & Kürster, M. (2019). "TESS exoplanet candidates validated with HARPS archival data: A massive Neptune around GJ143 and two Neptunes around HD23472." Astronomy & Astrophysics, 622, L7.
• Trifonov, T., et al. (2019). "Two Jovian planets around the giant star HD202696: A growing population of packed massive planetary pairs around massive stars?" Astronomy & Astrophysics, 622, A97.
• Trifonov, T., et al. (2022). "A new third planet and the dynamical architecture of the HD33142 planetary system." Preprint on arXiv.

Second-Author Publications:

• Späth, D. M., Reffert, S., Trifonov, T., et al. (2025). "Precise radial velocities of giant stars XVII: Distinguishing planets from intrinsically induced radial velocity signals in evolved stars." Astronomy & Astrophysics.
• Bozhilov, V., Antonova, D., Trifonov, T., et al. (2023). "A 2:1 Mean-Motion Resonance Super-Jovian pair revealed by TESS, FEROS, and HARPS." Preprint on arXiv.

Third-Author Publications:

• Kossakowski, D., Kürster, M., Trifonov, T., et al. (2023). "Wolf 1069 b: Earth-mass planet in the habitable zone of a nearby, very low-mass star." Astronomy & Astrophysics, 669, A96.
• Tala Pinto, M., Jordán, A., Trifonov, T., et al. (2025). "Three warm Jupiters orbiting TOI-6628, TOI-3837, and TOI-5027 and one sub-Saturn orbiting TOI-2328." Astronomy & Astrophysics, 694, A268.
• Heidari, N., Hébrard, G., Trifonov, T., et al. (2025). "Characterization of seven transiting systems, including four warm Jupiters from SOPHIE and TESS." Astronomy & Astrophysics, 694, A36.

Trifon Trifonov is a leading researcher in exoplanet science. His work bridges national and international institutions, contributes to the discovery of new worlds, and enhances the global understanding of planetary system formation. His efforts have helped place Bulgaria on the map in the field of exoplanetary science.

1. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy Profile]
2. [EXO-RESTART Project Website]
3. [Exo-Striker Software GitHub]
4. Google Scholar Profile
5. ResearchGate Profile