Barnes studies the physics of planets and planetary systems. He uses NASA spacecraft data to study planets that orbit stars other than the Sun and the composition and nature of the surface of Saturn's moon Titan. He is deputy principal investigator on the Dragonfly mission proposal to NASA, which would send a robotic rotorcraft lander to explore Titan.

• Titan
• Extrasolar Planets

• Dhingra, Rajani D.,Barnes, Jason W., Brown, Robert H., Buratti, Bonnie J., Sotin, Christophe, Nicholson, Phillip D., Baines, Kevin H., Clark, Roger N., Soderblom, Jason M., Jaumann, Ralf, Rodriguez, Sebastien, Le Mouelic, Stephane, Turtle, Elizabeth P., Perry, Jason E., Cottini, Valeria, and Jennings, Don E. (2019).Observational Evidence for Summer Rainfall at Titan’s North Pole. Geophysical Research Letters, 46, 3, 1,205-1,212.
• Ahlers, John P.,Barnes, Jason W., and Barnes, Rory. (2015).Spin-Orbit Misalignment of Two-Planet-System KOI-89 Via Gravity Darkening. The Astrophysical Journal, 814, 67.
• MacKenzie, Shannon,Barnes, Jason W., Sotin, Christophe, Le Mouelic, Stephane, Rodriguez, Sebastien, Baines, Kevin H., Buratti, Bonnie J., Clark, Roger N., Nicholson, Philip D., and McCord, Thomas B. (2014).Evidence of Titan’s Climate History from Evaporite Distribution. Icarus, 243, 191-207.
• Barnes, Jason W., Sotin, Christophe, Soderblom, Jason M., Brown, Robert H., Hayes, Alexander G., Donelan, Mark, Rodriguez, Sebastien, Le Mouelic, Stephane, Baines, Kevin H., and McCord, Thomas B. (2014).Cassini/VIMS Observes Rough Surfaces on Titan’s Punga Mare in Specular Reflection. Planetary Science, 3, 3.
• Barnes, Jason W., Lemke, Lawrence, Foch, Rick, McKay, Christopher P., Beyer, Ross A., Radebaugh, Jani, Atkinson, David H., Lorenz, Ralph D., Le Mouélic, Stéphane; Rodriguez, Sebastien, Gundlach, Jay, Giannini, Francesco, Bain, Sean, Flasar, F. Michael, Hurford, Terry, Anderson, Carrie M., Merrison, Jon, Ádámkovics, Máté, Kattenhorn, Simon A., Mitchell, Jonathan, Burr, Devon M., Colaprete, Anthony, Schaller, Emily, Friedson, A. James, Edgett, Kenneth S., Coradini, Angioletta, Adriani, Alberto, Sayanagi, Kunio M., Malaska, Michael J., Morabito, David, and Reh, Kim. (2012).AVIATR—Aerial Vehicle for In-situ and Airborne TitanReconnaissance. A Titan Airplane Mission Concept. Experimental Astronomy, 33, 55-127.
• Barnes, Jason W., Bow, Jacob, Schwartz, Jacob, Brown, Robert H., Soderblom, Jason M., Hayes, Alexander G., Vixie, Graham, Le Mouélic, Stéphane, Rodriguez, Sebastien, Sotin, Christophe, Jaumann, Ralf, Stephan, Katrin, Soderblom, Laurence A., Clark, Roger N., Buratti, Bonnie J., Baines, Kevin H., and Nicholson, Philip D. (2011).Sedimentary Deposits in Titan’s Dry Lakebeds: Probable Evaporite. Icarus, 216, 136-140.
• Barnes, Jason W. (2009).Transit Lightcurves of Extrasolar Planets Orbiting Rapidly Rotating Stars. The Astrophysical Journal, 705, 683-692.
• Barnes, Jason W., Brown, Robert H., Soderblom, Laurence, Sotin, Christophe, Le Mouelic, Stephane, Rodriguez, Sebastien, Jaumann, Ralf, Beyer, Ross; Buratti, Bonnie J.; Pitman, Karly, Baines, Kevin H., Clark, Roger, and Nicholson, Phillip D. (2008).Spectroscopy, Morphometry, and Photoclinometry of Titan’s Dunefields from Cassini/VIMS. Icarus, 195, 400-414.
• Barnes, Jason W., Brown, Robert H., Soderblom, Laurence, Buratti, Bonnie J., Sotin, Christophe, Rodriguez, Sebastien, Le Mouelic, Stephane, Baines, Kevin H., Clark, Roger, and Nicholson, Phil. (2007).Global-Scale Surface Spectral Variations on Titan Seen from Cassini/VIMS. Icarus, 186, 242-258.
• Barnes, Jason W., and O'Brien, D. P. (2002).Stability of Satellites Around Close-in Extrasolar Giant Planets. The Astrophysical Journal, 575, 1087-1093.