My research focuses on the
formation and early evolution
of planetary systems. I am
interested in answering such
questions as:
- What
is the link between
comets, chondritic
meteorites, and the
building blocks of the
planets?
- What
were the important
processes that guided
the early evolution of
the solar system?
- Are
these processes common
or rare in other
protoplanetary systems?
- Further,
are there other
planetary systems
similar to ours in the
Milky Way, or is ours
relatively unique?
I work to answer these
questions by developing and
applying numerical models to
interpret and understand the
chemical, thermal, and
dynamical evolution of the
primitive materials found in
meteorites and comets. Thus, I
take an interdisciplinary
approach, trying to bridge the
fields of astrophysics,
cosmochemistry, and planetary
science. Among the projects I
am currently working on are:
- Developing models for
the coupled dynamical,
collisional, and chemical
evolution of solid grains
in the solar nebula and
protoplanetary disks
- Studying the origin of
organic molecules found in
meteorites and cometary
samples, and how these
materials relate to the
organic molecules used in
life on Earth
- Studying how Jupiter
became uniformly enriched
in volatile species
compared to a gas of solar
composition
- Quantifying the
collateral effects of
planetesimal collisions
during planet formation
and how that relates to
the meteorite record
- Understanding the
dynamical evolution of
water in protoplanetary
disks and how water could
be delivered to
potentially habitable
planets
Research Opportunities
for Students
There are a number of
opportunities for both
graduate and undergraduate
students to get involved in
my research. A list of
former students can be found
here. If you are
interested in what
opportunities exist, please
feel free to contact me for
more information.
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