Kinematics of Gas in Protoplanetary Disks
One of the fundamental properties of the disks around young stars is the kinematic motion of the gas. This is dominated by Keplerian motion, but turbulent motions are crucial for setting the collisional velocity, and hence propensity for growth, among the smallest grains. Deviations from Keplerian motion, such as eccentric motion, may be a sign of planetary influence. I use ALMA observations of molecular line emission to study the gas kinematics in protoplanetary disks
One of the fundamental properties of the disks around young stars is the kinematic motion of the gas. This is dominated by Keplerian motion, but turbulent motions are crucial for setting the collisional velocity, and hence propensity for growth, among the smallest grains. Deviations from Keplerian motion, such as eccentric motion, may be a sign of planetary influence. I use ALMA observations of molecular line emission to study the gas kinematics in protoplanetary disks
Gas in Debris Disks
While gas is a dominant component in young protoplanetary disk systems, its influence, and even its prevalence, is less well understood in older debris disk systems. Searching for and characterizing the gas in debris disks can tell us more about the era of planet formation.
While gas is a dominant component in young protoplanetary disk systems, its influence, and even its prevalence, is less well understood in older debris disk systems. Searching for and characterizing the gas in debris disks can tell us more about the era of planet formation.
Infrared Variability
Recent surveys have found that many circumstellar disks are variable in the infrared on short (daily to monthly) timescales. This variability may be a clue to the structure of the inner disk. I am using the Spitzer Space Telescope, along with various ground-based optical and infrared telescopes, to characterize the properties of this variability and its connection to the accretion of gas onto the star.
Recent surveys have found that many circumstellar disks are variable in the infrared on short (daily to monthly) timescales. This variability may be a clue to the structure of the inner disk. I am using the Spitzer Space Telescope, along with various ground-based optical and infrared telescopes, to characterize the properties of this variability and its connection to the accretion of gas onto the star.
ALMA disk code:
In learning to become a radio astronomer, I have developed a number of tools that may be useful to other researchers working with ALMA data. This includes an introductory document explaining how to load and analyze ALMA data within IDL or Python as well as python scripts for calculating visibility weights, and a deconvolution tool for quickly, and roughly, estimating surface density structure from gas and dust emission. All of this code is available on my GitHub page
In learning to become a radio astronomer, I have developed a number of tools that may be useful to other researchers working with ALMA data. This includes an introductory document explaining how to load and analyze ALMA data within IDL or Python as well as python scripts for calculating visibility weights, and a deconvolution tool for quickly, and roughly, estimating surface density structure from gas and dust emission. All of this code is available on my GitHub page
Current Students:
- Maile Ruiz '26: CO(6-5) observations of the disk around DM Tau
- Neil Panth '26: Modeling CO observations of a disk wind.
- Berit Olsson '24: The Seat Belt Light is On. We Will be Experiencing Turbulence: Constraining Radially Dependent Turbulence in the Im Lup Protoplanetary Disk
- Anna Tosolini '23: Expanding the Protoplanetary Disk Turbulence Sample
- Currently a graduate student at UC Berkeley
- Currently a graduate student at UC Berkeley
- Ashraf Dhabhi '23: Looking for Spatially-Dependent Turbulence in ALMA Observations of Protoplanetary Disks
- Peter Knowlton '21.5: Influence of Tight Binaries on Protoplanetary Disk Material of Photo-Tatooine Systems
- Currently education assistant at Lowell Observatory
- Sammy Sasaki '24
- Summer research 2021
- Michael Arena '23
- Summer research 2020
- Amina Diop '21
- Senior thesis 2020-2021, Investigating the Vertical Structure of Turbulence around DM Tau
- currently a graduate student at the University of Virginia
- Johnny Inoue '20
- Senior thesis 2019-2020, Investigating a Warped Protoplanetary Disk around HD 100546
- Alyssa Bulatek
- KNAC REU summer 2017, Constraining the dust structure in protoplanetary disks around V4046 Sgr, MWC 480, DM Tau
- currently a graduate student at the University of Florida
- Daniel Brown
- Glastonbury High School, class of 2016
- currently undergraduate at Boston University
- Lindsay DeMarchi
- KNAC REU summer 2014, Protoplanetary disks in Chamaeleon I
- currently Physics PhD candidate at Northwestern
Python Cheat Sheet: A handy guide to common (at least to me) Python commands
Intro to MCMC: An introduction to Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo for the complete novice, with links to more extensive resources
Intro to MCMC: An introduction to Markov-Chain Monte-Carlo for the complete novice, with links to more extensive resources
