science
Compact objects,
violent mergers,
what survives.
My research background is in numerical relativity and black hole-neutron star mergers. I have studied tidal disruption, gravitational waveforms, ejecta composition, and the formation of low-mass accretion disks after merger.
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Black hole-neutron star mergers
Black hole-neutron star systems are useful laboratories for studying strong-field gravity, neutron-star matter, and the conditions under which compact-object mergers may produce observable electromagnetic counterparts.
My work has focused especially on systems near the neutron-star disruption threshold, where relatively small changes in binary parameters can strongly affect how much matter remains outside the black hole and what that matter looks like.
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What I have worked on
Tidal disruption
When, and under what conditions, a neutron star is disrupted before plunging into the black hole.
Gravitational waveforms
Numerical waveforms from black hole-neutron star systems and their use in comparisons with analytical and semi-analytical waveform models.
Ejecta & composition
The amount, geometry, and electron fraction of matter dynamically ejected during merger, including implications for r-process nucleosynthesis and electromagnetic counterparts.
Post-merger matter
Low-mass accretion disks and bound material remaining outside the black hole after merger.
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Current interests
I remain interested in compact-object mergers, multimessenger astrophysics, r-process source populations, and the connection between merger outflows and observable transients.
I am also interested in building computational projects that are suitable for undergraduate participation and can grow alongside my teaching work.
For what it is I am currently working on, you will have to reach out. :-)