Under Construction...

Active Research

I am currently doing research at UCLA with my advisor, Prof. Mike Fitzgerald, as part of my graduate studies. My work can be divided into two related topics:
high-contrast imaging and circumstellar debris disks.

High-Contrast Imaging

My collaborators and I have developed a unique method to model and correct for self-subtraction of extended emission in angular differential imaging. This work is currently in publication, so stay tuned!

Debris Disks

Circumstellar debris disks represent a stage of planetary system evolution thought to be concurrent with terrestrial planet formation. These disks contain varying amounts of dust and rock ranging from sub-micron-sized grains to kilometer-sized planetesimals.

My primary goal is to search for structures in debris disks that indicate the presence (or absence) of planets.

I am investigating these disks through near-infrared (NIR) imaging of host starlight that is scattered towards Earth by micron-sized dust grains. These scattered-light images show the distribution of dust in the system and also inform us about the properties (e.g., size, composition, temperature) of the grains. If a planet is present, it can interact with the dust and leave behind fingerprints, such as clumps, gaps, asymmetries, and warps in the dust distribution. These structures act as signposts for planets that may otherwise be undetectable with current technology and methods. Even if there is no evidence of a planet, we can still learn about the evolution of the system (and by extension our own Solar System) from the disk size, composition, and other properties.

For more information on debris disks, this Wikipedia article is a decent starting point.

Other Current Interests

Several other astronomical subjects in which I am interested include direct detection of extrasolar planets and astronomical instrumentation.

Past Research

I spent about one year (June 2008 - June 2009) at New York University helping to build a cosmic ray telescope out of a rooftop water tank as part of the New York Schools Cosmic Particle Telescope (NYSCPT) project. I also assisted in efforts to create a comprehensive catalog of active galactic nuclei (AGN).