Newer work link (not fully updated)- Here
older research activities described below
My primary Research focus is computational astrophysics.
(Non technical explanation)
I am working to understand a particular type of binary star system know
as polars. In these systems, two stars are gravitationally bound
together. One star is a white dwarf, the extremely dense remnant of a
star like our sun that has finished its normal life. The other star is
a very low mass, cool star. The two stars are so close together that
the white dwarf is able to pull gas off of the secondary star. As the
material falls towards the white dwarf, it is caught in a strong
magnetic field. The physics of these systems is so complex that it is
necessary to use computer simulations to understand what is going on in
these systems. Through my research and the student projects decribed
below, we are building an understanding of these systems
(More technical explanation)
under construction
My PhD dissertation is now available here in several formats:
| Postscript | |
| Entire dissertation 29.2 MB | Entire dissertation 58.4 MB |
| individual sections below | individual sections below |
| Front material 74 kB | Front material 183 kB |
| Chapter 1 1.6 MB | Chapter 1 3.2 MB |
| Chapter 2 14.0 MB | Chapter 2 24.3 MB |
| Chapter 3 108 kB | Chapter 3 183 kB |
| Chapter 4 4.5 MB | Chapter 4 8.8 MB |
| Chapter 5 2.7 MB | Chapter 5 5.5 MB |
| Chapter 6 6.4 MB | Chapter 6 17.2 MB |
| Chapter 7 47 kB | Chapter 7 160 kB |
| Appendices 125 kB | Appendices 201 kB |
| References 53 kB | References 156 kB |