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My research is into the Galactic population of compact objects -- white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes -- that are left behind at the ends of the lives of stars. I search for compact objects that are accreting matter from binary companions, mostly using observatories at X-ray wavelengths, although I collaborate extensively with observers working at radio and infrared wavelengths. Here is a slide show that I have used to introduce the subject in a public lecture. My interest began by studying the brightest X-ray sources, which can be seen in this movie of the X-ray sky that my collaborators and I made. Currently, I am identifying large numbers of compact objects in Chandra observations of dense concentrations of stars, such as the Galactic center and the massive, young star cluster Westerlund 1. The goals are to understand such questions as what stars leave behind white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes, and how stellar interactions generate close binaries containing compact objects. I am also using these samples of objects to learn about the radiative processes and dynamics of material that is accreted onto compact objects. Here are some links providing more detail:
I currently hold a post-doctoral position at the Space Radiation Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. The position is will last through July 2008. I was previously at the University of California at Los Angeles as a Hubble fellow, and at the Center for Space Research at MIT for one year as a post-doc. I received my PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in June of 2002, and my B.A. in physics and astronomy from UC Berkeley in May of 1997. The complete listing of works on which I am a co-author is available through NASA ADS. |
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Contact info: (626) 395-2336 |
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Last modified: Wed Aug 1 09:34:54 PDT 2007