I am a PhD student at Penn State working with Leisa Townsley. My research can be summerized as a
Mult-Wavelength Study of Disks Around Brown Dwarfs
Disks
have been observed around a wide variety of objects, from massive stars
to brown
dwarfs (too small to be considered stars). These disks are the
possible begining of a planetary systems. As of yet no one has
seen a brown dwarf planetary system in existance. Can brown
dwarfs have planets?
How would planets form around brown dwarfs? Considering the
abundance of brown dwarfs, little in known of there early stages of
evolution. Can
evolutionary theories predict the correct mass for brown dwarfs? What is the typical size
of disks around brown dwarfs? These are some of the questions my research addresses.
